Again
by Here Strikes Dawn
Summary: Edward Elric has new enemies to fight. "Journey's End" is never obtained because nine years on, everything begins again. Brotherhood ending
1. Prologue: Bowing To Sin

Again

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters. They belong to Hiromu Arakawa and the respective companies, although I created the original characters featured in Again. I am grateful to be able to create Again from this beautiful concept.

* * *

Prologue: Bowing to Sin

The fate of evil sweltered in the remnants of the expansive garden, lost amid the chorus of birds twittering aimlessly at their lullabies.

As like any other day during the height of spring, the little boy sat cross-legged in his garden, poking with a stick at the dusty ground in the hope of finding some creepy crawlies to show his mother. The high walls surrounding his secret glen only emphasised the exclusion from the rest of the world the boy had to live with, and these walls were now draped with ivy, the only indicator that illustrated the passing of time.

There was so much to do in the garden though, from the fountain continuously spurting water, to the orchard where he would sneak several apples into his pocket for his mother. She loved it when he brought back treasures for her from the world outside, as it reminded her of the sweet innocence her child possessed, since he had been unable to live his childhood the first time around. It seemed uncanny that the boy had been given a second chance at living; it was as if the world was being tolerant on the child winding back time for a reason, that of which had never been done before. His mother still worried herself to sleep, always fretting by her son's bedroom door to make sure all of the lights were out, so the shadows were still and kept at bay. She was frightened that he would remember even a fraction about his first life, and she knew deep in her heart that that day would come. However, she succumbed to the bliss of his innocence, so she could enjoy the years he would still remain a child.

It was odd though, as his growth was accelerated; in his first two years of life he had grown from a new-born to the age of a two year old, yet seven years on from then, he was unexpectedly the age of an adolescent, displaying the traits of one far younger than him… His mother was in her sixties now, and began to feel the ache in her joints as her son eagerly dragged her to his latest excavation site of insects galore. However, despite his clear display of innocence, Selim Bradley was still Pride the Arrogant, the only surviving homunculus which Father had created. Nobody knew who was in control: Selim Bradley or Pride. Even though Selim was a cover-up name for Pride, since the homunculus showed no trace of his past, it was decided that Pride and Selim were two characters, or souls, sharing the same body. The homunculus may have withdrawn into this body, or he could be in control now. Since he was the last of his kind, and without his Father, there was no hope for his return, so it would be safer for Pride to wait until all suspicions were lifted. However, one thing was certain: Pride lived on.

As the Fuhrer President Grumman had hinted, the uncanny principle on the matter was that nobody knew what would happen in the future concerning Pride. The child had endured trials and torments in his short existence as an individual. All they could do was watch and wait, in wait of the day for Pride's likely return.

Meanwhile, the boy had more important matters to attend to. Selim had moved onto his next site of exploration; deep within the orchard, where proud oaks stood in the height of summer, and no matter how high Selim climbed, he could never touch the sky. He adored the vaulted heavens above, as it reminded him of how the birds could feel the tingle of starlight on their wings, when he was forever trapped on the earth. Despite his love for the heights, Selim decided to instead wander along the shaded trails that spring morn, thick with brambles and nettles, wandering further into the woods so he could see the real prize in nature: the kingfishers.

Their pointed, elegant beaks and the way their blue wings shone in the sunlight after a dive into a glistening pond made his soul feel alive. His pace quickened, charging forwards beneath the dappled shade of the oaks. Today he was in search of one to catch. Today he would bring back one for his mother, who would smile and ruffle his hair for his being such a big, brave boy. A laugh burst through his shy demeanour. Today!

Today Selim had forgotten his net.

All euphoria draped away from the boy's features as his feet stopped instantly in their tracks, dragging as opposed to dancing across the leafy floor. Scrapping his shoes into the muddy soil, Selim sighed and sunk onto his knees towards the ground, tucking himself into a ball as he peered out between his curls of black hair, which had grown to fall at his eye-level. As he stared at the floating clouds, whilst the sunlight danced before his eyes and the leaves dappled them into ripples of waves on the forest floor, Selim lost his burst of vigour. It was several moments later when he felt the tears slide down his cheeks, only making the forest swirl faster in the sudden kaleidoscope of colour from the glistening pools of rain harvested from inside of his heart. Selim had failed his mother, and unfortunate guilt washed over him. She would get no prize today, and this was the first time that he had ever failed her.

Suddenly, a sharp stab of pain thrashed against his mind. Selim cried and grasped his hands to his head, fingers clutching his hair as ripples of pain throbbed throughout his entire body. Everything was so _real_ , but it also all seemed like a dream, a memory of the past which was only now beginning to resurface. The young boy had been caught unaware, and very soon he was withdrawing into his mind, to protect it against this unprovoked attack. No harm had come to his body. His hands, held firmly tightly to his head, began to slip to the floor as the boy lost control of his body, and the cries were muted down to subtle whimpers. His mind was a different matter entirely.

"You are pathetic, boy," a voice echoed through Selim's mind, and he opened his eyes to the tiniest fraction so he could peer out to see who was talking to him. Nobody was there. However, instead of the dancing leaves, Selim was in a place that was massive, expansive, yawning… and red. It appeared that it could have hosted millions of people, or souls? A rush of recognition flushed over him, and there it stood, the shadow of the past and present. Curved teeth folded around into a sharp edge, crystal white against the piercing black; haunting red eyes locked their gaze with his, while small, winding hands woven into shadow edged closer to Selim's feet. The red was soon engulfed in the black shadow, now the only remains of the abyss Pride had fallen into from when he had allowed Edward Elric to destroy him. Since his physical host of Selim had grown stronger, he would now be able to emerge again, as the last remaining homunculus.

Pride grinned and navigated his shadows so one blood-red eye was level with Selim, who was silent with the velvet hands of the night wrapped over his body and lips, as the menace's mouth grinned by the little boy's feet, drawing blood as it gave a cunning smile; every trace of his past remorse had gone. All Pride allowed remaining untouched were Selim's eyes, nose and ears; what was it worth speaking when this useless runt of a human could not listen to the closest being to God?

"I was foolish enough to separate my soul from yours, allowing you to gain control. It was so I could regain strength in my abyss, boy! I cannot allow you to feel guilt for your mother when I am the living embodiment of a deadly sin which forbids such morbid thoughts! It is a taboo!" Pride taunted, as his hand dug deep into Selim's flesh so as to draw even more blood. But in this void, no more blood was necessary. "I fear I was too arrogant to foresee a future in which you would gain control… Oh well, never mind. It seems time for Pride without fighting for this feeble excuse of a body has given me precious years to think. Now the time for silence is done, and I must return to the world of light. Who knew I had a second persona, in the form of a boy, called Selim Bradley, who deeply yearned for a mother and family?"

Struggling was futile. The hands clung to him like a lost soul being revived to the awakening, driving his own into the depths of shadow.

"The setting of the present sun is drawing near, boy, and do you know what that means? The shadows stretch as the night approaches; when twilight sets over Amestris, I promise, we will watch the crows feast on the dead and listen to the song of the hunted!" Millions of eyes slit open in the silence as Pride's voice lowered to a whisper, "who knew one little boy could be the root of the destruction of those he loves?"

Selim Bradley screamed as the nightmare fell upon him.


	2. 1: Where All Endings Have A Beginning

Again

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters. They belong to Hiromu Arakawa and the respective companies, although I created the original characters featured in Again. I am grateful to be able to create Again from this beautiful concept.

* * *

Chapter 1 – Where All Endings Have A Beginning

Part I:

There was silence in the dark, and not even the drop of a pin or the hum of an evening cicada could be heard through the veil of quiet. He was reluctant to open his eyes as thoughts were beginning to consume his mind; so many responsibilities lay on his shoulders these days. He still always quietly carried his burden, allowing the thoughts to submerge him with every arriving dawn. For some reason, this night was different. Now was the time for rest, and the silence was in fact welcome from the chaos of the day that surrounded his everyday life…

A long corridor stood before him, the same as it had always been. The military flag waved and fluttered in the weak sunshine, filtering in through the windows on his left. However, the last he remembered, it was dark, deep within the night. No matter… he needed to reach his office; as one of the commanding officers at the East City headquarters, it was his duty to be "punctual". Hawkeye usually took care of that.

Looking down at his shoulder to inspect his uniform, the three stars were stitched to the golden-plated metal on his insignia which apparently showed him as a colonel; in all truth all it did was weigh him down on his path to fame. Soon, he would be the leader of Amestris; the waiting was almost over! As he stretched out his arms, the brief enthusiasm of conquering the world vanished as sleep drifted through his eyes making his movements sluggish; these raids the serial killer/overall maniac Scar were driving his shifts through the majority of the night. Even as he rubbed his eyes, the usual bustle of the building was oddly absent; the silence made him feel uncomfortable as he reached for the shining knob of the door, to hear it squeak ajar in protest.

The morning routine was so usual, so in sync, that when the Colonel noticed his Lieutenant's absence, he quickly became alarmed; peering through the corner of his eye, Roy Mustang saw a man sifting through his drawers. From the years of instinct in Ishval, the reactive gloves, which acted as the ignition for his flame alchemy, were on his hands before he had even fully spun around. His fingers formed into a click, but the robber had vanished.

"Roy! How _are_ things going?" Maes Hughes called out, his glasses slipping down his face as he shoved a tattered picture at the Colonel's face. As per usual, the same picture of Elicia and Gracia, Hughes' daughter and wife respectfully, smiled back up at him. No matter how many pictures Maes took, he was never original; it was always the same photo, shoved at the same face every time they met on important military movements. Personal affairs in his professional life could jeopardise his career and ruin his chances of becoming President! That is what irritated Roy the most as his coal eyes sunk into a scowl.

"Unlike you, Hughes… I have work to do. What have you done with my subordinate? Hawkeye was due to be here half an hour ago," Mustang mumbled half to himself as he shuffled the maps in his hand, before letting them collapse all over his desk. Instinctively, his hand reached out for the coffee that always awaited him, but he forgot _again_ that Hawkeye had been sent somewhere, and after knowing the Lieutenant through all of the Ishvalan Civil War, she would only leave the HQ when absolutely necessary. Hughes had planned this, especially for him to turn up unexpectedly from Central; their chaotic lives meant they only got to talk once in a blue moon, and that was usually an update on Elicia's eating habits as the most interesting on the military phone line.

"Isn't she _so_ adorable? She must take after her mother, but of course, my handsome face and features really show up, especially in her dimples!" Hughes crooned, hugging and kissing the picture… and Roy just had to touch that thing… Elicia was an exact replica of her mother, but her hair was static much like her father, and her physical features were more predominant than Gracia. _Jeez, Hughes appears to have a streak within everyone,_ Mustang sighed in his thoughts.

"Now Roy, tell me… why have you not quit your job yet?" Hughes winked and approached his friend, trying to shove him casually; Roy froze, tripping over his feet. This was a first, even for Hughes. Even after all they had been through, all of the devastation they had witnessed in Ishval, together, and Hughes wanted him to quit?!

"You promised you would help me get to the top, so are you now too 'busy' to help me achieve my goal… I'm going to be the president with you by my side, even if I have to put chains on you like a dog! Don't abandon me now, you fool," Roy did not know what he was saying... even though Hughes was the most annoying individual he had met, friend and foe alike, he was one of his dearest companions.

Hughes stared at him with curious green eyes, and his lips puckered into the most ill-disguised laugh, which was followed by a slap on the shoulder, his unshaven beard bristling against the photo. "Oh Roy, I _love_ it when you give the 'serious' face. I mean, the 'emotional-but-pretend-I'm-not-bothered-face-trying-to-act-casual' you always use when you glare at Riza! Hmm, I'd better get to the point. You need to get rid of your job… so you can propose to her!"

A cricket sounded in the distance as Roy gaped at his friend, and in response all he got was a grin which stretched across Maes' entire mouth. _He's finally lost it, officially. He has gone crazy, around-the-bend and become an overall lunatic like Scar. Worse, even._ Mustang was frustratingly hurling insults at the man who was again stroking the photograph, obviously completely unperturbed by this turn of events. _After being a couple of steps from the top, sharing all of my dreams and ambitions, this is how he repays me. Typical._

"By the way, you can never tie me up on a chain because I'm not an alchemist! Aren't _you_ the 'dog of the military'?" Hughes always somehow made silences far less awkward. However, Roy had not heard that term in nine years, since state alchemists began to work for the people…

"Hughes, what is happening? Why are you addressing me as a dog, when that term was abolished after Grumman became our president? Answer me, as your superior officer," Mustang glared at his friend; although he had been extremely serious, Maes smiled, and touched Roy's shoulder with a loose grip, before his fist tightened, sending a stretch of pain along his companion's arm.

Memories began to flood into the Colonel's mind; no, he was a General now as he had been promoted! Hawkeye was a Lieutenant Colonel; how could he have gotten so confused? Two lives, one in the past and present lay before him; one with Hughes, and one with him gone. Flickers of a day when the heavens had turned uproar against the silent earth. A little girl was crying out for her father in a dress of black while her mother soothed her, stifling her own tears. What was real? He did not even know anymore…

"You see, Roy, I've been looking through your drawers for some time, for that secret wedding file of you and Hawkeye, but of course, that would be against the law now wouldn't it! Two officers cannot hope to get into a relationship. Those perfect couples only exist in fantasies, but Gracia and I were just star-crossed dreamers as I gazed upon that pretty little face for the first time. Before I knew it, I was on my knee with a ring held out in front of me, a shaky hand which almost dropped the silly thing. Of course you were my best man on the big day, surviving through the wounds of Ishval with me and then, together, we got promoted. Work. Friendship. Elicia, and then…"

Roy Mustang cried, running up to his friend before embracing him, the "big, old bear hugs" which Roy swore had broken one of his ribs when Hughes had reciprocated the affection during another day. At another time… How could his friend be here, when he had died? It had been a damn beautiful sunny day when the fanfare of Central had fallen quiet for the soldier's requiem. The man had been promoted for dying and he had _mourned_ for Hughes, almost going far enough to perform human transmutation willingly. Now that he had passed through the Portal, and knew this concept was impossible, that the flow of life could not be reversed, led to one abrupt conclusion. Hughes was dead. That was why this place was so empty, it did not even exist. Then that meant this must be…

"A dream," nodded Hughes solemnly. Hands pat his back, before locking eyes with the oldest friend he knew. "Do not forget, Mustang. You are not a fool, but when the time arises for you to be a hero, what underlines who you are is an idiot. I'm just a fabricated version of your best friend, yet am I not here? Yes, this is beginning to creep me out…

"This is not the end; something new is coming… I do not know what… Just, watch your back, Roy."

 _I do not want an ending without you, Maes._

He pivoted around, seeing what Hughes talked about, before being pushed to the floor. As he rubbed his face from the impact, Roy noticed several tears glistening, catching them like the pattering of rain, like the turn of history repeating itself. He crouched over, hands covering his face. Why was it so warm outside, but raining inside of his heart? Staring back up again, Hughes had gone. Gone! In that split second he was rummaging around that office as Hughes had done through his drawers. His rasping laugh echoing down the corridors would have sufficed! He stopped in place as the world began to dance before his eyes and Mustang's vision started to falter. The last he heard was a whispering of Maes' voice, acting like a command, _wake up._

In his palms was that ripped picture. In it though, Hughes was smiling next to his daughter, arm draped over his wife, and there the family would forever remain complete.


	3. 1: Part II

Again

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters. They belong to Hiromu Arakawa and the respective companies, although I created the original characters featured in Again. I am grateful to be able to create Again from this beautiful concept.

* * *

Chapter 1 - Where All Endings Have A Beginning

Part II:

"Ms Rockbell! I did it! Look, your genius work can really perform miracles. Thank you so much for giving my life back to me," Robert beamed at Winry as he hobbled along on his newly made automail leg, which had been attached several inches below the knee after it had been destroyed in a mining accident two years ago. The gruelling surgery and rehabilitation meant only few people decided to opt for the permanent automail, but the benefits far outweighed the cons, or at least in her mind.

Being a mechanic freak from as soon as she could hold a screwdriver, her skills had developed from the tutelage from her grandmother and Garfiel. Now, she was one of the most renowned mechanical surgeons and joint doctor in Amestris, but her quiet little surgery in Rush Valley was low-key (at least before the surgery opened every morning) reminding her of the years at home in Resembool. The clatter of automail against the ground reminded Winry that she had saved another life and granted him normalcy for the limb that he had lost. He was free to stand on his own and he was smiling despite being uneasy on his own two feet. Two strong feet.

"You worked for it, Rob! Now go home to your family before the bustling commuters reach the trains," she laughed and gave her former patient a hug. Even though this was the end of his initial rehabilitation, he had to come to the surgery every few months for maintenance, or Winry would not be satisfied with her work. "Remember, dry it thoroughly after getting out of the tub, and don't forget to oil it every day!"

Robert embraced her one last time before reaching out for his wife and three daughters, the youngest whom he picked up in his muscular arms, before they began their journey to the East Area, on the border with the desert, otherwise known as the mining district. Winry then let the sigh rumble from her lips before she slipped head-first onto the patient's bed; it had been a long night. The early sunshine was beginning to peep through the windows, causing the curtains to ruffle against the wind. Still, the day awaited her, and slipping on her gloves, like Ed had done all of those years to conceal his automail arm, she went about her day in her automail surgery.

The Fullmetal Surgery was a unique automail shop and surgery, considering that patients could be fitted or upgrade their automail, however, Winry's surgery also treated patients, who in the process of losing limbs in the military or in an accident, could be cured at the same place. Ed had disliked the shop being named after him; he'd _hoped_ that by moving to Rush Valley their lives would become less action packed. Even a prodigy couldn't foresee _everything._ The name attracted most of her customers, so the "boom town of the broken down" boomed even more, with most visitors in search of meeting the famous Fullmetal Alchemist. If he had been walking Theo to school several years ago, which happened to cross the path of the Surgery, every time crowds would have gathered around like a flock of sheep; Ed always clenched his fists and told Theo to go on ahead. The conversation usually ended up the same to when people called him "short" as people chanted "alchemist" and ironically he could not use alchemy anymore.

Edward Elric was hot-headed, the centre of attention without even trying and Winry would not exchange him for any other person in the world; he was far more than equivalent exchange had to offer. As Truth's irony worked its toll of sacrificing his Gate, Ed became less noticed on the streets, however no less forgotten, or people were finally beginning to respect his privacy. It was only on the off chance that he was surrounded by flocking crowds, usually caused by a dedicated tourist who had memorised his appearance.

The workshop was Winry's second home; the bustle of the world was silenced as she worked vigorously to create some top-quality automail. As she ran a hospital, for those people who could not afford the surgical fees, she offered the surgery for free, of course using the money Ed had earned for becoming a state alchemist. He had loved that when Winry had _eventually_ come around to telling him some six months later… he may have been slightly in debt. She chuckled to herself; memories of what had been floated around her mind as she gathered her tools together before sitting down to repair a nickel-chrome alloy leg, which was an entire left leg. Despite her yawning and with her muscles cramping, the achievement she felt always meant she let the pain stay with her. Her hands were made for creating, healing… and when Winry felt her spirits running low, with her family waiting with open arms, the friends she loved, the clients she served willingly.

She could hear the automail engineers prowling through Rush Valley, calling to anyone with the faintest sign of metal for a limb or sometimes for clothes which whipped in the breeze on their own and that person would require the "full upgrade". Her patients were laughing behind the room she was working in, finishing the last polish of the leg before placing it on her shelf. A dented foot protruding a metallic object was the next item on her agenda while she wondered at how somebody could have wrecked their automail in such a peculiar way. It put a smile on her face.

"Ms Rockbell!" A voice pierced through the hum of Winry's thoughts followed by course screaming, echoing through the workshop walls. Rushing into the surgery was a young girl, no older than twelve, huddled in blankets in the arms of a man who she presumed to be her father. Her wailing has been reduced to a pitiful sobbing, salty tears slipping down her cheeks as the man fell to his knees, holding the bundle so tightly, yet caressing the girl as gently as he could. The man was dressed in a top and trousers with numerous rips in them, a dull brown in colour, and worn-down stitch holes present from where the clothes had been poorly stitched up so they had immediately reopened again. He was immense in height, and Winry had never seen someone so young loom this far above her, with the exception of Al. _Or maybe Ed was so ridiculously short that whenever I see a man now of average height, he immediately becomes a giant,_ Winry thought while calling aloud for a bed to be made free. She rapidly exchanged her workshop apron for a surgeon's gown, hands slipping on a pair of gloves, closing her eyes for an instant, picturing all those who willed her to carry on. _I know what being small is like, yet for Ed to be shorter than me until he turned sixteen, when he was supposed to be inches taller. I can relate to how he felt all of those years._ Her eyes flickered open and all other thoughts fled from her mind. The only concern now was the patient and keeping her alive.

"Please, Ms Rockbell, help her. My little sister and I are refugees from the west. We've been trying to escape the fighting, it's become so violent. Please, as we were crossing the valley, we heard a noise and then the rocks above us were slipping. We heard more noises, shuffles of movement and we fled at a faster pace although we were too late. Ventura suddenly cried out... Her arm was caught under a rock. We managed to pull it free, but… Ms Rockbell, there was so much blood...Help her, please. We have no money but I will do jobs and pay for her recovery myself…She is too special to the world to die," The boy, not man's voice trailed off as he rubbed his eyes reverently to disguise his tears.

"Ventura, could you show me your arm?" Winry smiled and tentatively squeezed the girl's good arm in support.

She winced, but could somehow muster the strength to uncover the shawl… roll up her sleeve all the while biting her lips… to find her left arm up until the elbow shattered. Fragments of bone were visible and the skin had turned a horrible septic purple. _Oh my goodness, the wound has become infected; how will I be able to save it? My engineering and surgical skills have improved so much, but I am not God! Think, Winry… do not stop thinking! This girl's life is in your arms, these arms credited for creating, so put them to use!_ Winry shut her eyes, and clenched her fists. This was a battle they were not going to lose. "Ok Ventura. Let us get you sorted out."

* * *

The sun was dappling the rocky bluffs to the side of the surgery outside of the windows, casting deep shadows across the horizon as it descended towards the earth, where it would be swallowed up into night. Ventura was sleeping tranquilly upon a bed, curtains drawn around the other patients so she could rest in peace. In order to save her life, Winry ended up having to amputate the arm and it was a gruelling process, for the nerves were still attached to the shattered arm. She had been forced to disable the nerves before trying to fit the broken bone back together, and Winry cringed in shock as she realized some of the pieces were missing; there was no choice but to remove it, especially to how the infection had succeeded in destroying most of the girl's skin cells. The wound was wrapped thoroughly in bandages, and Winry had been able to save the arm just below the elbow by using some of the excess bone from the infected arm to knit the surrounding tissue together. Luckily, she would not bleed to death. Luckily, she would only have as much metal which was required rather than an entire limb taken away. Luckily, she was alive. Leaning back in her chair, she huffed in relief; it had been a good day's work, although not as successful as she wished. Ventura's brother still had not given his name, but he reminded her of her son, Theo, who was waiting at home alongside Sanda for her, their mother.

Her thoughts of family were only spontaneous and momentary as she stared at the boy. Blond-flecked hair was slickly tied back into a ponytail, with freckles dotting along his cheekbones; hazy-green eyes distorted by the tears that had clearly fallen down his face. The predominant outline of his cheeks and facial hair had yet to come, so she aged him at around fifteen. A whimpering moan came from the girl, with the same coloured hair as the boy who she recognised to be her brother. She had a little shawl wrapped around her, with a tattered blanket resting on her shoulders, unsupported on one side. Winry knelt down, and seeing an older brother and little sister reminded her of Theo and Sanda. Despite his mighty height, this client was still a child, and seeing so much devastation shook her to the core; Ed, Al and her had lost their parents as well as their courage when they had been much younger. However, seeing the next generation suffering, when the military were meant to support the young, not to abandon them to the poverty these children must have faced was unforgivable, even if they were not from Amestris originally.

Nodding to herself, Winry vowed to help this girl in any way she could; the military had ceased to fight about their southern and western borders so peace could thrive. So why were these children suggesting that their native country was at war with Amestris?

 _She is too special to the world to die…Creta has been restless on their borders for months, although they have been planning skirmish raiding parties only for the past month or two. Is this girl part of their motive for attacking? Why can these children not find any form of peace? A happy ending…does it only lead to a tragic beginning?_


	4. 1: Part III

Again

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters. They belong to Hiromu Arakawa and the respective companies, although I created the original characters featured in Again. I am grateful to be able to create Again from this beautiful concept.

* * *

Chapter 1 - Where All Endings Have a Beginning

Part III:

The radio crackled on as she headed back to her workshop, internally dreading the rising pile of machinery that was on her list to repair by the end of the week. While she slipped out of her apron and rubbed her aching shoulder muscles, the crackles gained clarity as she deciphered the sound as words, solving their meaning. She began to hum a song that Granny Pinako had taught her in Resembool while she had been tucked up in bed alone without her mother and father to read her a bedtime story. That rhyme had helped to quell the nightmares and it granted her solitude now despite how she could not remember the lyrics. _Hmm, hmm, hmm…_ The tune had stuck to a five-year-old Winry. Her hands formed poetic swirls with her eyes closed to the rhythm as she imagined herself sweeping fluidly around a ballroom leading a symphony with her movement. Crackling ceased which distracted Winry from her scenario, snorting aloud by believing such delusions. Beside from special events, she never danced alone. Her wry smile disguised her secret reasoning before the radio sounded alive, instantly snapping her out of her thoughts.

 _"Creta today has removed their troops from the western border and hope is that peace conferences will begin immediately. However, the foreign ambassador of the military has yet to make an announcement that this arrangement has been confirmed. President Grumman has not called off the troops stationed on foreign territory and…the military…has therefore superseded the voice of Grumman…by withdrawing all personnel to the Amestrian border…"_

Grabbing her bag, Winry peered around the curtain to see Ventura asleep her form rising and dropping with her subconscious breathing, with her brother collapsed in his armchair; they would be safe tonight from whatever had harmed them. Now that she thought of it, she did not know the brother's name, but he seemed genuine enough. His bright eyes held the reflection of one led by sheer determination, even if it led to his destruction in the progress. Plus, he was the same age as Ed and Al when their road to recovering their bodies took the right path. Dreams and fantasies of using other souls to achieve your goals did not define the concept of being human. Alchemy... the Elric brothers were able to use alchemy! The flash those siblings saw wandering through the valley; could what have hurt Ventura's arm been alchemy rather than the rock slide, which was used as an alibi? Winry had the immediate doubt that Creta were preparing to launch a full-scale attack on Amestris, although she should not have been thinking on such cynical terms. However, the children resting in her surgery made her wonder if the girl was a "resource" too precious for Creta to lose. She had worked all night and day; her family needed her now. The day carried on as usual, and she let the possible threats slip from her mind as she focused on the tasks which involved her at that moment.

The threat of war faded from her shoulders as she rushed home to greet her children. The narrow streets were full of other automail shops beginning to close for business for the day; lights were flickering on throughout Rush Valley, dancing before Winry's eyes like fireflies bringing life to the night sky. Silence…

"Why have you brought a dog home?"

Winry gasped and chuckled at the same time, of course that was Ed. The only problem was that the neighbours would not be as accepting as she was. Also, did she hear something about a…dog? As she turned onto the next street, the path was surprisingly quiet. Although the lull of twilight had set over Rush Valley, it was a showdown between Edward and Theo outside of their house; they would not have had the sense to enter the building since they had no common sense to begin with. Sanda was sitting on the bench beside the cobbled road of what substituted as their front garden. The second she locked eyes with her mother, Sanda's tiny hands streamed from her side as she ran to greet Winry, who in turn caught her daughter as she tripped over the flowery dress she was wearing. White-blonde hair was tied securely into two bunches and anxious golden eyes stared at her. Sanda turned and pointed at her father and brother.

"Sanda, tell me what's going on," Winry soothed, but already Sanda was in tears.

"Mum, it's all Theo's fault. We found a puppy all alone and I took it home but Theo was mad when Daddy said we could not keep her. Please, mummy…you have to stop them. It makes me scared when they fight."

"Theo Elric, give me that dog!" Ed was yelling across the street, completely unaware of Winry's presence. His hair was hanging loosely past his shoulders and glowing in the evening light with his antennae sticking high. He was no longer a midget, but still wore it out of his pride most likely. _Why is he being such a fool? That is his son he is arguing with!_

"Edward Elric. What are you doing? Hurry up, let us go home," Winry called out to her husband. She had not seen him for almost a month and when he finally came back home he just _had_ to cause a commotion…He had been away in South City with Izumi Curtis to help young alchemists pursue a career in helping their country with the support of the military. However, what these soldiers committed was never the sin of Ishval but they themselves chose the extent of how they supported their country. While he was away, he had sent neither a postcard nor phoned, and even though that was usual for him, when he had just returned home to a family waiting. Arriving home to his son and daughter opening the front door for him and he had allowed his temper to soar. _I am being a hypocrite for doing this…_ Her fuse broke.

"Winry, what…" Ed did not have time to finish as a direct punch landed across his jawline. Faint, golden stubble was growing through from where he had not shaved and deep circles were indented under his eyes. The bangs he wore were resting way past his shoulders. He must have been as exhausted as she was. Her gaze softened while Edward looked at her, rubbing his cheek turning a cherry red. The concentrated glow in his eyes closed, although the fiery passion that ignited from his soul remained as she dragged him to the house, Theo's hand clasped to her own and her petite daughter nuzzled into her shoulder, beginning to breathe deeply. "Come on, dummy. We have a family home waiting…"

* * *

An arm shook her, and then another. Winry could hear voices through the fog, but the bed was so soft she felt she could sleep all day, all night. Suddenly, she remembered. _Damn, I am supposed to be having the children today!_ She leapt out of bed, before tripping over a jacket, and falling straight to the floor; as she reached out to defend herself, her hand landed at an awkward angle, and a sickening crack sounded. She stifled a scream. How could she scream, when her children were staring down at her? _Now who is the shorty on the floor…?_ Winry mumbled in her thoughts, gritting her teeth as stood up, her arm hanging loosely at her side.

As she reached with her right hand, the one which hadn't been injured, a tentative hand pat her head, as if she was a pet, obviously Sanda was concerned as usual.

Theo was sitting on the bed, a screwdriver in his hand as he picked at some scraps from the automail leftovers. His hair was exactly like Ed's was at his age with the Elric antenna sticking out as always; golden eyes were so focused on his task, his fingers moving deftly along the metal, as a professional would. Winry could not believe that he was only approaching his sixth birthday. Sanda had tears in her golden eyes, with a little dribble running down her nose as she sniffled and helped her mother up to her feet. Her white-blonde hair tumbling loosely to her shoulders, unlike her custom bunches she usually had her hair in. _She is as adorable as her mother is, of course. Only those silly golden eyes… both Ed and Al, now Theo and Sanda; you cannot escape the Elrics anywhere!_

Ed usually left the house early and still was used to being woken up by Al at the break of dawn during the years they had spent together. He probably went on a walk as tribute; recently, the brothers had not been talking as much though. During the first few years of Theo's life, Al had always phoned, but since he became a wielder of alkahestry for Xing, he had not returned to Amestris in almost two years. Something else was missing… that dog.

"Theo, where did the dog go?" Winry heaved herself up to face her son. His golden eyes however remained focused on the task at hand as he replied, "Gone, left during the middle of the night. It was a silly thing and once I have my robotic dog made it will all be much better." Theo started to sniffle and buried his head in his lap.

Winry messed his hair, lifting him to face her. "Let's go look for that puppy, it couldn't have wandered off too far, could it?" She was biting her tongue to disguise her pain. _I need to get to the hospital. Damn...I'll have to survive without that. As long as I put it in a sling, my arm should be able to manage._ Fashioning a sling from several of her jumpers, it dawned on her how stubborn she could be, so stubborn not to admit that she had a broken arm.

The children hurried to leave the room, all signs of their tears vanished; they were not a sign of weakness yet showed the sheer resolve of being human. Theo and Sandy were only children, however, as she stared at the scrap metal, they had been fitted together to form half the face of a dog, with a lolling tongue and a torn ear. A small indent of writing had been carved into the dented metal.

 _I'm sorry._

Winry's thoughts suddenly fleeted back to the limbs she could not save, the lives she had had been forced to release from this world. The hopes and dreams of innocents like Ventura, her brother and Winry's own children…brought her strength. She could make a difference, even if she was an insignificant human. She needed to wake up and she realized the fact she had forgotten in a long time; being self-centred would not help any of those she loved. Her everyday life had been around what she had wanted in the past years, and she simply tried her hardest to see it through the day. Theo could not even tell her how he felt, but a tatty automail dog he had built was more trustworthy than his mother.

 _Well damn, I will find this dog. I am short...but I'm certainly not useless._ Ed hadn't said goodbye either. Her eyes gleamed and tugged up her sleeve on her good arm, pulling a wrench out from the darkness of her bedroom.


	5. 1: Part IV

Again

This is just a quick head's up. The point of view for this story will change quite a lot, but from now on I'll leave a note on who's POV it is XD And so it'll be confusing!

Brave enough to read on? Congratulations! XD

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 1 - Where All Endings Have a Beginning

Part IV: Ari

 _Late winter 1925 - Rush Valley_

Ventura was sighing heavily in her sleep as Ari stirred in his chair; the lights were off and the curtains drawn, so the sun must have set. He was surprised however, since there had been a commotion on the streets just a few minutes before, which had originally awoken him. His thoughts were so scattered. The day's events were a blur. But after slumping in his chair for several minutes, it was clearly a failing effort to get back to sleep.

He occupied his attention with the few belongings they possessed, all of which were held in a tatty bag with numerous rips. His sister had collected for them over the months travelling, normally pieces of ripped cloth to hold food or to mend patches of their broken clothes, in which there were many. One second, two, three… as he counted inside of his head to pass the time, he hoped sleep would appear from a horizon.

But still the thoughts were _there;_ the memories of so much which had come to pass. He smiled as he remembered when they had crossed the border into Amestris, he had seen a fire light in the distance. This had been the flame of his new hope for them. A new beginning, away from the suffering in Creta. The past was a distant memory, although who would believe the story of his ridiculous childhood, apart from Ventura, who did not even have memories of the events!

Even he found it cruel to believe that on a serene night like this one that somewhere in the world, parents would abuse a boy as he caressed a helpless bundle of life. Him.

As soon as his parents had found out that the helpless bundle would grow to become a wielder of alchemy only made the suffering worse, for the children were sent to become lab rats. In return for their few remaining possessions and their honour, the children had struck a bargain so they would be trained as cadets in the military, on the front line to the west in Creta and serve secluded lives in the military, where they could _live._ No more days in the laboratory.

Serenity was bittersweet however, since as soon as the higher ups in the military had discovered this bargain, they had pursued the children west, but they had come east, hoping to live a life far away from their mental pain. Ventura's arm was broken much like his fading ideology of "hope", as if every decision that Ari had made could only lead to more devastation.

The painful memories of his childhood faded away. But Ari was being whisked away back into memories of a much more recent time. Today...

* * *

Pacing up and down the hallway, Ari had waited for Ventura's surgery to be completed and the dreadful news that obviously awaited, but did not come. He was stuck inbetween, like a ghost on the boundary between reality and Heaven. Nothing could quell the grief that surged through his mind; it was his decision to come to Amestris and Ventura had followed at his side; two siblings against the swelling tide of despair - it was _his_ fault alone if she died. However, as he looked up to a tinkling sound, a figure was striding down the corridor to his left. Suddenly, the figure sat, and kicking small legs into the air as he grabbed a piece of metal from his pocket, fiddling with it mindlessly in his seat, which made Ari perplexed.

As he approached the figure, he discovered it was a boy, wearing brown shorts with a baggy top and golden hair falling past his ears; bangs covered his eyes as he turned to glare at the teenager coming to disturb his privacy. Amazed, Ari stumbled back by the intense conflict inside those eyes, shining golden unlike anything he had ever seen before.

Cautiously, he crouched next to the boy. "I hope you don't mind. It gets a little lonely waiting, doesn't it?" Ari was ignored by the boy."Erm… I'm Ari, nice to meet you."

"I'm waiting every day. It's not like anyone is sick, but I wait for them to see that _I'm_ sick," Goldie murmured, continuing to work on his treasured scrap of metal, already beginning to resemble a face of some sort. "… My name's Theo".

"That's a different name. You're the only person I know called Theo. I thought I've seen you before though…" He didn't know where, but Ari knew that he had somehow seen this child before.

"My dad is the Fullmetal Alchemist, or he was. He told me that he was an alchemist but not anymore but he is still famous and away all of the time. You might have seen him in posters. My mum works here but she is too busy to be at home. So it is just me and Sanda alone all day when we are not at school, but Sanda is younger than me. She is such a cry baby and boring," Theo slumped in his chair and tucked his knees into his chest. "Everyone is too busy to notice that I'm sick".

"I think when Ventura became poorly, that made me sick too," Ari recalled hesitantly. However, he found himself embracing his life story with a child no older than 6 or 7. "Whenever those around me get hurt, that pain makes me feel so terribly sick, and then you feel useless for not being able to stop the pain in the first place. Family is a precious thing though, and well worth bearing the pain for."

Glowing golden eyes stared back at him and the boy put down a finished model of a scrap dog, with folded ears and black, carved slits for eyes. Ari presumed it was meant to be cute, yet the unique features on the dog unnerved him. So cold...almost demonic.

"I can tell you are scared of me. Most people either think I am "soooo adorable", or they get creeped out. It's because I'm _his_ son and I look exactly like my dad, whilst Sanda looks like mum," Theo perched in his chair and suddenly the fog of despair faded from the young boy. "I guess they love me really… they're just busy at the moment. My birthday is in a month so they might get me the presents that I would like".

 _Thank goodness, he is still just a kid after all._ "What would you like most of all, Theo? A new book or toy might be nice."

"All I want is for my family to be together, that would stop making me feel sick, without having to go to work or school or far away… " Theo was shaking uncontrollably.

"I JUST DON'T WANT TO BE LONELY ANYMORE!" Theo screamed, tearing his junk dog and throwing it in the bin. He hurled himself down a corridor and slipped past the sweeping aisles of chairs. As he arose to pursue the boy, the surgery door opened. Either a sheet would by lying over his former sister, or it would be providing warmth to the life still embedded inside her weak frame.

Ms Rockbell stumbled out of the surgery with several other surgeons, whisking Ventura with them to the recovery unit. She was going to be alright, so making a decision he had never considered before in his life; he turned and ran towards the aisle of chairs, grabbing the dog out the bin. Luckily his nails were long, as he scratched several indents into the metal; the discordant cacophony made him squeal as his body winced. Carving the words hurt, and his skin soon glowed a sore red. Still, he pursued the young boy.

As Theo pelted out the main entrance to the surgery did Ari heave for breath.

Before Ari could think, he threw the dog across the distance between him and Theo. Skidding to a halt, he shouted, "Hey, you cannot lose him ok! Don't forget what I told you!" Even though the boy looked confused, he picked up the even more dented dog from the dusty roadside. Several seconds passed as he examined the thing. _Stay strong… you are loved,_ was carved into it. A shy grin spread across his face and he hugged the dog close to him. Only then did he meet Ari's eye, pumping his fist into the air in farewell. He grabbed his schoolbag and trotted off, waving a hand in the air with his back turned. Ari responded in the same way, smiling to himself. _Maybe I've done some good in the world, for once in my life. I can keep doing amazing things as long as I keep living… because I have given somebody else hope, me, who is an outcast to all but my sister._

* * *

Memories skidded down upon him yet again, as if he was being thrust into a maze of emotions. Although this time, they were not of his grievous past, yet of him smiling… alongside his sister; as they were panting on a hillside after coming into Amestris in the deep of winter before reaching Rush Valley, with a storm brewing, aching with sores and both hungry, she had smiled at him. "Thank goodness I stole some of those apples when I could, Ari!" Ventura giggled. "At least we can still conceal ourselves without having to build a fire. It's a shame we ate them for breakfast…"

Deep shadows were being carved into the mountains of the west as they hiked, while the sun set subtly in the expanding twilit horizon. After weeks of trekking, Ventura hopped towards him; however he was concentrating diligently on the map, brows furrowed in deep thought, setting their course right. "Brother, the map is upside down!" Ventura had scolded, but instead of chastising him further, instead she had smiled. "Oh well, we can camp here for the night… wow, look at that full moon! It looks like an eye of molten starlight, and as it's rising in that direction, that is where we will head tomorrow!" She pointed to the east. At that moment her stomach had rumbled. "Brother, I'm hungry. What did we find today?"

As Ari had pulled out some measly weeds that would have to substitute for a meal, Ventura didn't sit and sulk like she had the right to; she simply got a piece of chalk from the rubble-strewn ground and began to make a rough sketch of a circle. She piled all of the weeds into the centre of it. "Hey, Tura, is that a moon you are drawing? It's pretty clever with the white I think."

Ari had in fact never seen his sister perform alchemy, but as the chalk melded into the earth with such perfection, and how Ventura deftly drew the strokes with delicacy, was a simple design etched in the ground. A large circle several hand spans long were inlaid with confusing symbols connected through delicate shapes consisting of triangles and additional circles. A faint script was scrawled along the inside of the circle, but despite the best of his abilities it was as foreign to him as this land was.

Ventura had her hands held in a clapping position above her head before lowering her hands slightly until they were crossed over, directly in line to the centre of the circle. Her foot tapped the edge of the circle as her eyes closed, a determined, gentle smile spreading across her face. With flourishing movements as agile as a ripple, Ventura jumped back, losing her physical contact with the circle when the brightness burst forth.

A bright light flashed with sparks of blue energy cracking and radiating with a glowing aura exploded lightly from the circle. Ari covered his hands to his face as his cloak rippled in the sudden breeze; Ventura however maintained her calm composure. The ground and air suddenly felt lighter… less dense; as if something was being forcibly removed from these untouchable powers. He had to force his eyes shut from the sudden brightness, but he was able to squint as he peered into the middle of the circle, where particles were literally being _added_ onto this spawning object. Ari held his breath in awe of what was happening and he felt no fear as his sister worked this mysterious power. Several more seconds passed before the light went out, shrouding the siblings in darkness once again.

As Ari stared on, he was amazed to find some of the ground _missing_ and as he glanced the object that Ventura willingly picked up, he found it to be a fresh loaf of bread, albeit oddly shaped and stone-cold. Unlike the usual floury bread that was baked in Creta, this loaf was stale; however, Tura clapped her hands in delight. "It worked, finally! The secret was not having the wheat particles so densely packed together…"

She trailed off, and then gave an awkward grin to her brother, tossing him half of the loaf. Sitting down on a broken log on the shattered hillside, she stared at the bread and then made eye contact with her brother. He had to try the bread. _This thing has been made out of the earth and weeds we've harvested today. Who knows how long worms and maggots have been rotting there!_ Although he had felt queasy, the bread was in his mouth and he was swallowing it whole before he knew it. Just as he was about to vomit, he actually managed to taste a little of it, hoping his face would not grimace… but it tasted _delicious._

"How did you manage to make this? You are literally a genius. No wonder the whole army in Creta wanted your skills, sister!" Tura looked away sharply and began to scrape her broken shoes into the dirt. Ari was ravenously gulping down his food that he forgot… this was the subject that gave her the night terrors. Instead of delving into her nightmares however, she smiled, a gentle smile, towards her brother, with only the fireflies keeping watch. The first drops of snow began to fall from the sky at that moment; no matter how cold it was - the warmth his sister provided for him was brighter than the sunshine of summer.

Perhaps that is why God had granted his sister the power of alchemy.

Did he say power? No, the closest thing alchemy was to him… was magic…

Ari suddenly jolted awake, half-conscious from his dream or flashback. He felt as if a huge weight had been tossed away from his shoulders as he used his memories and experience to guide those in the future. Even though he had been swarmed in his own pain, Ventura had never left his side, always smiling and was his symbol for hope. She was his purpose for staying strong.

As moonlight gently filtered in through the dappled curtains, Ari rose to shut the windows. Moonlit tranquility billowed on in the quiet streets of Rush Valley. Ari looked down at the bedside behind him.

"Thank you for being alive, my brave sister."


	6. 1: Part V

Again

Just had a coffee...bad idea. As soon as the caffeine works its wonders, I can't stop writing XD

I need to continue editing Blue Hour now, and then it's full steam ahead. We're getting there folks!

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 1 - Where All Endings Have A Beginning

Part V: Edward

 _Late Winter 1925 - Rush Valley_

The sun was sluggishly making its way up through the sky. The hustle and bustle of the valley echoed around due to the towering piles of stone vaulting towards the heavens on either rising side where the young man was strolling. _Grip, grip, grip_ was the sound the sandals shifting upon the parched rock below.

Edward knew the entire chemical composition of them and also how the cliff particles were arranged on a sloping bed; that was part of the Truth of alchemy he had witnessed aged eleven. However, how could anyone wield such a power without paying the price? His automail left leg ached where the joint connected to his real skin; the pressure in the atmosphere must have been rising. Even though the sky was clear, a storm would be approaching soon… Those were a rare occurrence after nine years of peace.

This early in the morning, Ed was on the search for the puppy Theo had found last night and the same one he, their father, had sent away.

"Stupid children…" Ed grumbled as he stalked down the back alleys of Rush Valley, away from the crowds of people, kicking a rolling stone in the dirt with his sandals and hands tucked firmly inside his pockets. _If a dog was going to make a leap of freedom, where would it go? Probably somewhere where it is quiet…and with lots of food,_ Ed pondered as he peered around the corner of an alley, where a rotting chicken carcass was strewn across the dusty ground. Smiling, Ed knew he had found his dog. Or their dog…he had to admit that its lopsided ears had made him slightly smitten. He imagined Al's face in response to finding a stray kitten and how he had vowed in his stoic red coat never to fall to such low a level. And here he was. Risking his wellbeing for a puppy. He had tainted his word as an alchemist and he smirked, imagining his younger brother's reaction to seeing the puppy.

 _Isn't it so cute!_

All of sudden, a tattered figure danced out of the shadows of the side alley, glaring with scowling blue eyes, half an apple wedged between their teeth. They were small and delicate, and could be no older than a young adult and if not they would have been an adolescent. The alley thieves knew better than to stalk for rubbish in this part of Rush Valley – only strays or certain Xingese princes showed up here.

Surprisingly to Ed, this figure moved with purpose, running in his direction without showing any sudden or abrupt reaction to being cornered in an alleyway. Ed blinked in amazement, before coming to his senses and expertly jumping onto the figure, trapping them and getting information. He would interrogate them to find out why they were slinking in the alleys of Rush Valley.

Yeah, right.

As he was fantasising about capturing the person, in reality, none of this happened. Instead, his left leg started to ache and a spasm shot down the entire leg, making the mechanism twitch as he landed roughly on his hands and knees. Suddenly, ice fire started to burn in his automail leg, throbbing in agony. He bit his lip to stop himself from screaming. Ed winced and his thoughts remembered the pain of nerves connecting to the mechanism, the bout of agony he had experienced to stand where he was today. Smiles of endurance offered to him by Winry…

But the pain brought his mind back into focus. He realized he had crumbled to the floor, and he looked up to see the figure walking up towards him.

 _What was a scrawny runt doing here in this broken-down town in the first place?_

The figure saw their escape and simply strolled past Edward Elric, leaving him in the darkness and shadows alone…

* * *

Time passed. There was a dull ache, throbbing in a twisted synchronisation with his heart. He lay there, staring as the sun weakened the shadows as midday approached, and after what seemed like decades, sunlight was slanting upon his face. Although he was not content lying there, it was all he could do, struggling every few minutes as a surge of nausea threatened to engulf him into unconsciousness. After countless attempts, he found that the pain was beginning to fade, ever so gradually. Without giving himself time to think about it, he forced himself agilely onto his feet.

When the automail leg twitched again, Ed shut his eyes as he lowered it slowly to the floor, but to his relief he found that he could put pressure onto his leg. As he tested his weight, without putting his full force onto the leg, searing pain bolted up his spine. _What could be up with my leg? Why did it have to happen now?_ Suddenly, Ed realized.

He had forgotten to have his automail leg "all cleared" by Winry before and after his visit to South City. He had forgotten to oil his leg every day, and although it did not rust, it was prone to clogging up around the joints. _That_ was why his leg ached, not from some storm. The weather was always humid in Rush Valley, and his automail had adapted to the pressure, so it no longer pained his leg.

 _Well done, Edward. Winry was right again…_

Shaking the pain away, Ed hobbled down the alley, and resumed his search for the dog. However, as he looked back at the way he had come, the chicken carcass was missing. It was then that Ed heard the rustling… that was coming from the bin. A large head popped out of the bin, making the lid roll on the floor in a clattering heap. A lolling tongue was panting as the dog scrambled out of the bin, grease all around its mouth and paws, who trotted up towards Ed.

 _The puppy has very similar markings to Den,_ was the first thing that came to mind. She was a dark brown, closer to black, apart from markings on her face which were cream and white, with a white-tipped tail. All of her legs were splashed randomly with black and white. Unlike Den, her ears pointed upright and her muzzle was more refined, similar to that of a wolf. The only sign that she was domesticated was the red leather collar strapped around her neck.

 _This dog did not have a collar beforehand!_ Ed's thoughts bellowed, but this dog must be a stray, since it was outside rummaging around in all the bins! It had willingly followed Theo into their house, for if it had another owner, it would have run straight back to them! So who had put the collar on the dog?

Ed reached down towards the collar before his eyes widened in surprise. There was a small note attached to the collar as Ed glanced warily. Peering down either side of the alley, Ed whisked the dog up and opened the note, keeping his senses alert. The note read:

"Keep her safe, as you would your family and friends, Edward Elric…"

Suddenly, out of the blue, there was a commotion and an explosion of some sort coming from the main street. Ed no longer had any thoughts about his leg and instead hurled down the side alleys with the dog in his right arm; she appeared to be enjoying the ride, with eyes opened wide with interest. As he skidded onto the main street, unable to get a grip on the dusty ground with his loose sandals, he kicked them off and pelted towards the site… it was at the Fullmetal Surgery.

 _WINRY!_ Ed's thoughts screamed as he lunged towards the building with no concern for his own safety. A huge crowd had started to gather, and members of the military were already in protective uniform, preparing and ushering commands as the figures of authority to the public and the officers' subordinates.

Ed looked around, searching for his family and friends, with no sign of them anywhere. A large booming cry echoed from behind Ed, which caught his attention. Murmurs immediately began to spread like wildfire across the crowds of people, whispering the same phrase: "nobody is dead".

 _Nobody is dead... But what even happened?_

The Fullmetal Surgery employed so much staff to accommodate the swelling number of patients, who travelled from all over Amestris…mainly in the hope to get a glimpse of its namesake…him, the Fullmetal Alchemist. As if his thoughts were reflecting in real life, someone from the crowd had started to stare at him with a perplexed complexion; the gears in their brain were starting to spin as their facial expression changed into that of a grin of an overexcited child. The look someone displayed when they recognised him as Edward Elric.

The one and only Fullmetal Alchemist.

While he was searching for his and Al's bodies, he had _always_ ended up being the centre of attention, mainly through his use of alchemy. However, despite how nine years had passed with no skill in alchemy, he was recognised almost anywhere in a matter of minutes after appearing at a scene. Luckily, he no longer had to look up at people and had gained moderate respect from the people of Amestris for preventing the Promised Day from becoming a reality, although it was Mustang who had taken the majority of the credit. No surprise there.

The shout resounded throughout the entire valley as the person who had recognised him sounded her cheer of victory. "Look who is here, none other than Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist!"

"Mr Alchemist, you have to help the people trapped in there."

"It's been a long time since we've seen you around here, Edward!"

 _How can I help the situation when I can't use alchemy? Hmm,_ Ed smirked. _Because I'm damn stubborn. That's why._


	7. 1: Part VI

Again

Hidden in the darkest corners of my laptop was this long, long chapter basically ready to be published. Wow - I wish this happens more often XD

We're heading away from Rush Valley for a longer chapter in the exotic land of Xing. And our favourite bickering pair make their arrival... Bless you Royai.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 1 - Where All Endings Have A Beginning

Part VI: Hawkeye

 _Late Winter 1925 - Palace Town, Xing_

Hawkeye had never seen trees grow so quickly in Ishval back home, and she marvelled that in the exotic regions of Xing, it was like spring already. The simple things mattered to her. The climate too was substantially more humid than in Amestris, although since Palace Town was nearer to the border with the desert than the majority of Amestrian towns, it had inherited its weather from the sister it shared a border with. The deserted Desert Area.

Her sea-blue uniform pulled against her brown, turtleneck under layer and even though she had made temporary residence in Xing twice a year when the annual conferences were held, her rigidity had yet to adapt to the environment. _Nine years of this routine._ She sighed although her tone was gratified when hitherto she had been exasperated; it had been nine years since she had had to use the gun buckled to its holster a second's reach from her fingers. Riza Hawkeye would have gone to the depths of Hell to ensure the safety of those she loved and precious few they were. That included destroying uprisings by shooting people down to the ground as if they were dogs. However, nine years had passed in peace – the revolver deposited in her closet had not been touched albeit for a maintenance check which were no longer weekly but few and far between.

A soldier at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel could not afford to drop her guard. Her eyes pierced the crevices of the palace courtyard, senses alert for a sign of the intruder; she was indebted to protecting the Emperor too for the kindness he had illustrated in the reconstruction of Ishval.

The beating of wings pulsed and buffeted the breeze from above as she noticed cranes taking flight from the outskirts of Palace Town, gliding into the Emperor's gardens two buildings from where she was standing. Even though Xing was over thrice as large as Amestris, their populations were even. Still silence reigned in the courtyard. While her attention was diverted, the creaking of the door behind her caused her to rise to an instant salute; despite her being in the presence of the Emperor of Xing, Ling Yao knew that the sharp shooter was not one for performing trivial pleasantries like curtsies. Her military protocol had to suffice. However, instead of the lithe approach of the Xingese king, the thickset clomping of military boots pattered down the stairs to where she was standing several levels below. A foot stopped in place and he paused as the man of the hour, the Hero of the People glistened in his duplicated uniform, the General's insignia blazing on his shoulder in the morning sunlight. Contrary to what his title heralded him to be, he was as useless as she without her resolve when they were battling in the rain. Even though his gloves served as a more decorative purpose since they no longer needed to be used in active combat, he had insisted that they bring a case piled with matching pairs. The fool…it hardly ever rained in Xing to begin with. Hawkeye contained her sigh as she felt a firm hand plant onto her shoulder. _Here we go again._

"Lieutenant Colonel, you are required in the throne room. We have an unlikely guest in our midst."

"What do you mean, sir?" she replied in a neutral tone, although she could not mask the hint of curiosity in her voice. She started to stride down a few steps, and she paused, lowering her voice and spoke in a near whisper. However, the General would be able to listen; the man had a knack for involving himself in any affair in which something _interesting_ could happen. "By 'guest' is this person a guest of the palace through invitation of the Yao Clan?"

General Roy Mustang smirked as was his reaction to every event in this world. He beckoned with a wave of a hand and in indifference strutted his way up the stairs, his sleek frame hopping up three steps at a time. Lieutenant Colonel Hawkeye remained on her guard because unless a private audience was being held in which she would attend to fulfil her share of manners, she opted to stand guard outside. She had earned respect mutually with the Honorary Members of Xing through guiding Mustang carefully as he tread on an ever narrowing road to becoming Fuhrer. However, her instincts harrowed mistrust in the throne room since allies could become enemies in a heartbeat…

They had not even entered the chamber which led directly to the throne room when the Hawk's Eye quivered in her place and abruptly stopped, no longer following after her superior officer. It was her place to remind him of his will to stay alive and even though she could not understand her confusion, she knew _this would not end peacefully._

Was it the years of aiming a rifle at the head of anyone who threatened her superior? _There have been nine long years of the same routine…this is the first period of my life lacking drama…is boredom what I am feeling right now?_

She remained silent and bowed her head until she heard the clomping of the General's footsteps stop a few paces in front of her and immediately he backtracked his steps so she could sense his shadow looming over her as well as the breath collecting from his mouth at regular intervals. Brown eyes locked with black eyes and she poured her uncertainty into her gaze, the doubt, the confusion, the reeling emotions that this arrogant subject of a man was the only one able to decipher. He alone could decipher the cryptic puzzle which was Riza Hawkeye.

His eyes narrowed in confusion as he faced away from her. It was similar to water's reflection suddenly becoming murky as storm clouds surged over the delicate surface and rain fell, breaking the regularity of the water in a pool. The clear understanding that Mustang always possessed was becoming a hazy fog of confusion. His mind was slipping from her...again.

If any other officer or Xingese warrior had seen her response, she would not have escaped the punishment of insubordination and thus be classed as a traitor to the State. But she did it anyway.

"Stay!" She cried out the word which echoed into silence. Mustang was frozen in his place with her hand tightly holding his arm refusing to let go with all the strength that she possessed. His thoughts had drifted away once again as his head glimpsed to the heavens, where Hawkeye's eyes widened in alarm as he gazed unseeing at the sky. Suddenly, his shoulders slumped and Roy Mustang did not move.

"General, if you don't snap out of this now, I will rip every pair of decorative gloves that you possess, emblazoned ones included," her tone softened, however she kept its edge wary, worrying she would miss a sign of his potential ill-health by veiling her serious demeanour in jovial folly. Her awful sense of humour was enough to snap him out of his blank mind. Only his Queen could do that; no pawn or Private could muster the power to snap him out of such a vivid daydream.

"Don't act like you are my babysitter, Lieutenant," his expression remained neutral although from the fire dancing within his charcoaled depths she knew that he had snapped out of his freakish behaviour. _You would be completely useless without me._

"The rank is Lieutenant Colonel as has been for the past four years unless you have failed to notice. Furthermore, despite my lower rank, babysitting is essentially what I do, sir," she granted him a full mock salute to which he pressed his hand to his forehead, unable to counteract the truth of her words.

"I am six months older than you, _Colonel_." Despite hearing the truth, it was a disguised fact that the alchemist was a genius although in a more discrete manner than Edward Elric, who would have likely phrased the General as "cocky bastard", however the only title that Roy Mustang deserved was "idiot" or "notorious fool" when Hawkeye was in a good mood.

"As I mentioned a second ago, my rank is Lieutenant Colonel, not _Colonel,_ but if this a hint of an upcoming promotion then the hint has been taken, sir. However, only President Grumman has the power to delegate our ranks," Hawkeye paused as Mustang's gaze wavered to the stars, seeing the place in his mind which she could not evidently see. Misty, clouded…confused.

"President…do you mean General Grumman?" Roy furiously shook his head and rubbed his eyes awake, wishing for the caffeine which was a luxury in Xing. The Emperor acted like he did not need to sleep.

"Our President, Sir. Surely you cannot forget about your ruler when you are one of the candidates for becoming the leader of our country. You're going to have to wake up, sir, because the wrestle for power is not going to become any easier now," Hawkeye continued forward while Mustang followed behind, albeit slower than his usual suave stride of the pompousness he radiated.

The words came out as less audible than a whisper. "How can I wake up to a world without you?" Jet pools reached her caramel and she instinctively slowed her pace so he was leading their small party. However, the role suited him more naturally than it did many people and moreover he was an excellent ruler. Just, kind, although these traits were buried deep down below the usually smug alchemist.

"Hurry up and become Fuhrer then, so I don't have to risk every moment of my life protecting you," Hawkeye abruptly turned to silence. Despite his hoarse protests of a child complaining the entire duration to travelling to the throne room, she remained composed, breathing in synchronisation to her light treading footsteps. Mustang had not answered her question which was unlike him when he had a plan he was concocting in which he could trust nobody in the scenario of an eavesdropper to thwart his plans.

She thought back to this "guest". The "guest" had to be somebody of notable status since it was highly unlikely for an arrogant general as himself to place a privileged title upon an embassy of lower status than Mustang. Furthermore they had to be a valued member of the relations with Xing to be granted access to the throne room of the Emperor and Ling Yao had swiftly learned to place his trust in those who reciprocated that instinct…the very skill that kept wise leaders alive.

Or was her superior officer merely being sarcastic? Hawkeye disciplined herself mentally for becoming lax in logic in which she needed to possess more than her fast reflexes to keep everyone around her alive. Unfortunately Ling Yao was a wise leader, although despite his superior age, Roy Mustang was not. Suddenly a wince burst from her lips and a tantalising spark caused her muscles to become rigid as the left tendons in her neck stretched beneath her touch. Her mobility faltered for a second before the pain was melting away but Riza had forgotten to remain focus not to move her head at _that_ _angle._ Mustang had become blind on the Promised Day which the Philosopher's Stone had successfully revoked, but for her punishment for defying the state, the multiple injuries sustained to her neck had never fully recovered. Never could she be as sharp shooting as she had been with the instantaneous movement of her muscles to aim at a target, although ever since she had awoken in hospital, her neck had become partially crippled, unable to bend significantly to the left. _If I cannot watch my back, then how can I watch his?_ His footsteps clomped ahead of her. _I never have to look back though; I can move forward and not let another person become a victim to the folly of our generation. So long as I can wake up every morning to those petty complaints._ She smirked internally, so the black-haired man knew nothing of her interior motives.

Before seconds had passed, the throne room was upon them. If she was a rookie fresh out of the academy, she would have been trembling in her boots three sizes too big for her. Short-cropped hair once grown out long would have become drenched in sweat while she herself would have been drowned with doubt. However, a military did things to a person and solitude could work miracles upon the mind too: detach, focus and shoot. Those were the three commandments ringing like a melody inside Hawkeye's mind. Doubt and wonder swirled within her thoughts, although the former radiated outwards as her lips curled in confusion; there were no guards posted at the door.

Two sheets of paper were hurled into her fingers with Roy's indecipherable scrawl scampering across the sheets, scrunched from being in his pocket for far too long. _For_ _A.E._ Initials, although Alphonse Elric would be returning to Palace Town within a fortnight as Lingg had promised. Could her superior not linger in Xing for that period? _There has been unrest in Qarros, but the General has not raised any grievances as of yet to me. I must be missing something here._

She secured the notes beneath her holster and awaited the command to follow as his subordinate. Mustang made no move at the door handle and as she was about to tap lightly against the oak frame, the door slammed open as the General of the East kicked the royal chambers of Xing down.

"Lieutenant Colonel, don't question what you are about to hear and if this order is not obeyed, I will have to treat you as any other superior officer would. Is that understood?" the first earnest words flowed from Roy Mustang's mouth. As she saluted his call, the highly arching windows beamed down upon her, causing her eyes to squint to narrow slits. The royal chamber was forged out of a thickset stone inlaid with precious gemstones, each heralding a sign of blessing or protection to the monarchs they had watched over since the Dynasty of Emperors in the land of Xing. Four antechambers led out from the main chamber, each heading in the four lateral directions respectfully. The throne was seated upon the northern wall and tucked behind it was a fifth room veiled in shadow and a curtain hastily drawn across it protected the hidden exit to the palace. _How could so many people be ignorant of secret entrance when it is clear that the curtain is frequently used? There is not even dust collecting around it when the curtains above by the windows are mottled grey with a lack of usage. Or the people of Xing refuse to close the curtains with their love for the sun._

"We have not met in private since you last arrived at Xing. Let us skip the royal invitation and give an invitation to you as an ally," the fluid voice echoed around the chamber, so she was unable to pinpoint its exact position. "I humbly welcome you to my abode in Xing where you can find shelter and take counsel on all you deem worthy."

Ling Yao exceeded Mustang not only in wisdom but his mannerisms, although Roy would be charming when the circumstances called for him to become a flirt. Become? The man was born one. However, Mustang stood stationary in the room… _admiring_ the patterns of topaz, amethyst, garnet inlaid in the columns and adorned into the ceiling. Shaking her head and flicking her fringe behind her ear, Hawkeye replied with the formal salutations to the ruler of a mighty nation. "I shall be of service however you deem me, Ling Yao."

The Emperor of Xing stepped across the chamber from his entrance at the eastern gate, taking a seat upon his throne and beckoned for the two Amestrians to come forth towards the dais, although Roy was frozen in place, until Hawkeye realized that the invitation was only for her. As she approached to salute the King, he leapt out of his crouch and embraced the Lieutenant Colonel. "It's good to see you again without an entourage of officials or guards following me around like sheep."

"Constricting throat…can't breathe…" Hawkeye's eyes widened in surprise. She shivered, winced and wished she could restart the past ten minutes so she was back in the courtyard. _Let me escape from people and pleasantries…_ A laugh suddenly echoed around the chamber, drifting down the antechamber into the courtyard beyond.

"You can see how sentimental she has become, Emperor!" the shrill cry sounded from her superior who had unveiled his poker face for an expression of utter hysteria. Tears of laughter were melting from his eyes and as Riza's gaze split between the two men bowled over in their jesting fits, she stormed over to the façade of a man she had been _worried_ about.

"I'm never going to do your dirty work _again_ as soon as we get home!" she hissed, her voice like venom. Roy continued to laugh, attempting to control the contort of tears falLingg from his face, white teeth glistening and beaming as the sunlight radiated upon the General.

"You…should...have…seen…your…face," he wheezed as Ling chuckled aloud, leaning onto a pillar for support. _He's 'wise' if he wants to become a leader for a pack of lunatics._ "Priceless…wish I… had a… camera…"

"What have you done to torment her now, elder brother of mine? We only have a matter of minutes and yet it's convenient for you to pull a prank? Act as the ruler you have become!" Crackles of alchemic energy sparked from nothingness which punched the Emperor of Xing in the abdomen so he cried in discomfort. Another was shot _elsewhere_ and Hawkeye snorted, hoping the leader of a nation had now lost all sense of dignity. As he scrambled to his feet, Ling glanced around, confused for an instant before his eyes narrowed to slits as May Chang slid from behind her curtain leading from the hidden entrance.

Her silhouetted black hair was free from its custom braids and even though she was inches shorter than the half-brother she was scolding, her features had become thinned from the mission around Xing which had had her absent from Palace Town for over a year. However, she was not supposed to be here; the official salutations were next week as the Emperor had announced in front of his guests and royal guards. The black and white creature which followed her was absent too. It was a panda, Hawkeye believed.

Taking in her appearance once again, the Lieutenant Colonel noticed not only how gaunt May had become, but that she was wearing a black garment of traditional Xingese design and was not donning bright colours which were clearly her preference.

The letters in her holster shuffled as she stepped forward to greet the princess, reminding her that the figure that she needed to see the most urgently was not here. Mustang was obliviously gazing at the jet and peridot curled together to form the eyes of a mystic beast. Ling had his hand shrugging his shoulders and firmly tying his ponytail tighter; he was indifferent to the absence of one member too.

Where in the world was Alphonse?

"Lieutenant Colonel Hawkeye, it has been a long time, has it not? I remember seeing you at the Spring Ceremony two years ago, although the last time we properly talked was long before that. How have you been faring?" Concern radiated from the younger woman's eyes and she too didn't seem to worry about Alphosne's absence. May suddenly fLingched. "That motion in Chi…what's wrong?"

A troubled gaze locked with her own and in a moment Mustang was by her side. "Those notes, hand them over to the Emperor. I have to admit I was not vouching for Fullmetal's lecture about me seeing Alphonse before I left for Xing, especially considering the two have not seen each other for years…"

Riza shuffled her holster and slid the gun out of its sheath before handing over the notes in Mustang's uneven scrawl to the Emperor. He did not look at them as he slid them into his own pocket. "The Philosopher has put his trust into us for allowing you to enter May." His attention turned to the confused Amestrian, brown eyes furrowed with doubt. "There is a reason that I called you here, Lieutenant Colonel."

He beckoned for May to continue speaking as the Emperor took a dagger-like weapon from its sheath and began to play around with it in his fingers, the sword moving on its own accord and so quickly that it flickered into and out of her peripheral vision. "The guest to the Yao Clan never came despite it being royal custom for the leader of each Clan in Xing to present them before the Emperor every 50th moon turn. Katsumi has not announced anything except from the congratulations to the birth of Lucien…"

The son of the Emperor was a sore subject to Ling Yao. Even though the custom of bedding all fifty women presented to him from the different Clans had been revoked in exchange for a more modern outlook, the Emperor in all his power could not escape the prospect of an arranged marriage. Nevertheless, she had become pregnant and soon died bearing a son, Lucien, who was noted at being an intellectual genius. However, this was the cause of an alchemical mishap which even she was unsure about; he could become snarky and wise beyond his years in a moment, as if the child, the same age as Edward Elric's oldest, had a split personality. A Linggering prophecy loomed over Lucien, who in these circumstances was awarded the title of "Philosopher". Why? The child had the persona of an adult, due to a soul from the Philosopher's Stone being trapped inside his body.

But there were more worrying affairs to consider.

"Riza. The Clans are restless. Similar to your borders in Amestris, there is unrest within our country. Many immigrants have crossed the border to and from Drachma and the Desert Area; therefore we know that the threat of battle is looming. They are approaching. The Xingese Revolts. Alkahestrists have spoken to me in the alleys of Qarros…Palace Town. They wanted me to join their 'revolution' to make this country great again. Ling no longer takes in taxes from the poorest members of Xing and the children are being supported by the State. To many this change is inexperienced from a young king, even though we know Ling is struggLingg to maintain control over the clans as well as keeping the support of the people. Not many, but enough want to take advantage over the State.

"And Alphonse. He excels me in alkahestry as well as his western alchemy; he is one of the few including the Philosopher of the West to manipulate both forms of alchemy. He also has the gene, from his mother, Trisha. She was a descendent of the people of Fraxern and he only discovered that he can wield _shadow dancing_ too. If he joined the Revolts, albeit unwilLinggly, the enemy would have massive power from his abilities. We have to protect him; he is a risk to the collapse of this nation."

"How…"

Mustang spoke, his voice glancing towards the sun dipping in the west. Towards the way home. "Ishval is at risk and if the Northern Wall of Briggs was to slip, that would be the end for us. Drachma borders both countries remember. We are all at risk and that is why we must unite. Amestris itself has dark secrets that must be uncovered; all of this unrest... this end is the new beginning."

Hawkeye remained in place, feeLingg the light of the sun concentrate for a moment and slip beneath the grasp of the glassed windows, refracting the gemstone ornaments before they became swathed in shadow. Heaviness hung about in the air. "This end is the new beginning…" She nodded to herself, feeLingg the peeLingg eyes of her company shining through her, feeLingg the wavering of security visible like ice cracking through their ability to detect the presence of Chi. "I will aid in this quest and keep the trouble of our nations between our persons alone. Until the next time we meet."

Mustang dipped his head in acknowledgement and beckoned for his Lieutenant Colonel to follow, taking up her role as protector and babysitter alike. She paused as she felt a hand brush her shoulder; May's light touch was enough to turn her around, pivoting on her feet. A twinkle shone in her eyes as she glanced between the stubborn man and stoic soldier. "Take care of him…he will make a fine leader in the future. You are blessed to be the one chosen to guide him. Without you he would have faltered long ago." Her voice lowered to a whisper. "While I was in Fraxern…bordering the north with Drachma, I felt the same pressure as Homunculus radiated from the sewers of Central City. I thought I would warn you…"

She knew this was their last evening in Palace Town. Later tonight the train would escort them to Qarros and directly back to Ishval from the Xingese town. The luscious expanse of Xing was never the same as the rocky dunes in Ishval, west…towards home. However, she nodded her head solemnly to May, pondering on what this presence could mean and bowed to the Emperor, seeing a pair of eyes glow in the distance…Lucien, the Philosopher. The thoughts of the presence slipped from her mind as more vital matters consumed them.

Namely, her superior. May's words rang in her mind. _Take_ _care of him._ The General had been outlandish today. That wasn't good, especially when he was becoming closer to becoming Fuhrer...

Fuhrer...

He could never be a Fuhrer; he would never strike innocents down in his quest for power in a dictatorship. As his military uniform swept across the marble floor, Roy Mustang moved with the grace of a king. The images of the people of Amestris floated before her eyes. She remembered how he had vowed to protect every single one with the power that he wielded.

 _Naive fool._

Even though the alchemist motto was rarely upheld by its wielders, he would strive to fulfil every word, as if they were a promise. _Be Thou for the People._

 _Without them you are nothing, Roy. Don't slip and lose faith now after the scars we have endured. These scars...which are only beginning to heal._


	8. 1: Part VII

Again

Last part of chapter 1! Wow, it was definitely longer than I expected XD

Enjoy!

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Chapter 1 - Where All Endings Have A Beginning

Part VII: Edward

Ravenous, excited cries sounded from the crowd, instantly gathering to where he was situated, and since he knew his position amongst the military, as one to train new alchemists in the science, scowled at the people before hurling himself over the "no entry" barrier. One look at the soldiers on guard at the gate inspected him up and down, taking the dog into their safe-keeping. Ed was then promptly escorted to the figure in charge who was nowhere to be seen at his eye-level. A loud, crashing sound blared up high … he then stared at the looming figure _above him._

While the remaining soldiers were struggling to subdue the crowd, the booming voice of Colonel Armstrong called from the first floor balcony of the Fullmetal Surgery. He glided over the railing and sailed towards the ground as he pounded the rock with heavy hand weights against the wall, forming steps with the rock using alchemy, as faint blue light could be seen emanating from the brick. Alex Louis Armstrong was _massive_ ; there was no other word to describe it. Towering even over Al when he was bound to a suit of armour, he had a single strand of blond hair and a thickset moustache of the same colour; out of everyone Ed had known in his lifetime, he was the man to have changed the least. However, even though the safety of the patients from the Fullmetal Surgery had been assured, a lingering curiosity was niggling away in his mind; what could have caused such a sudden explosion?

He related these queries to the Colonel, who nearly smothered him to death as he embraced his companion, but soon reached an agreement; this incident could have been no accident. Everything was functioning properly in the surgery; the soldiers had found no faulty wiring or lighting, and thus the remaining building which was standing was intact. Gathering his knowledge to the forefront of his mind, Edward carefully stepped towards the explosion site, pulling up his sleeves as he set to solve this dilemma.

His family had to wait just a little longer, for once he started on a case, his stubbornness made him refuse to quit until the task had been completed, no matter what.

Approaching the scene, he noticed that only a part of the Fullmetal Surgery had smoke seething out of it in black smoke fumes; it had obviously been a minor explosive… _some dynamite perhaps? No…the air would be thick with the scent of ammonia, and the military would not be able to work around that foul stench as they were currently doing. What could it be?_

The air appeared to be…normal though. _Nothing out of the ordinary from a usual fire; it may have been an excess of compressed gas that reacted with oxygen to cause the explosion to occur._ While he was amidst his thoughts, Ed grinned, with the success of solving a logical pattern. This was nothing more than mere data to interpret.

As he reached nearer to the charred building, he instantly found it harder to breathe, yet not due to the smoke. He clapped his hands together and laughed towards the sky, running his hands through his hair as he grinned smugly. The reason why it was difficult for him to breathe here at the site of the incident was due to a lack of oxygen, which had originally been used as materials to force the flames to ignite. Therefore, alchemy had to be the cause of it. Ed squinted, searching for the transmutation circle, which would have been similar to Mustang's reactive gloves, although lacking the ignition component to complete the circle. However, there was not a circle to be found, nor footprints that would indicate of an alchemist being present at the scene.

His first priority was to examine the wreckage, because if somebody _was_ alive in that building, chances were they needed urgent medical attention. It was ironic as emergency treatment was available to them a few paces from the explosion site. Nobody was in the building, but it seemed that the whole area was barren and the crowd was many dreams away.

The Fullmetal Surgery was situated at the end of the main street, so the front expanded to the bustle of the town, although the back of the surgery was much more secluded. The rear valley wall towered up above Ed, and a few trees were scattered, sparse and crumbling from the lack of rain to the right of where the explosion had occurred. _Could this have been a form of escape for the culprit? No… that would have only led back onto the main streets. With the crowds roaming around, there would have been no form of escape._

"How could the culprit get away with this? Surely _someone_ from the warehouse has seen them!" Ed shouted, realizing that he was voicing his thoughts. However, he was distracted from this, by a scrapping in the dirt. Pivoting around, expecting to be face to face with the alchemist, Ed found himself facing a shadow swathed in a black cloak, black hair spiking out at the sides. Intelligent blue eyes stared into his golden until the man pulled up his hood and was about to retreat. He suddenly stopped.

"If you think about it, Fullmetal Alchemist, this is not alchemy. Of course the culprit got away with it…when nobody knows the cause of their power in this region. It would have been easy enough for them to hide away with such heightened reflexes having origins from Xing. Think, genius…"

Beaming, the man smiled before returning behind the buildings in which he had arrived. _What on earth was that…_ Ed simply stared back and forth between the footprints of the man and the explosion. _Xing…reflexes…of course Fu and Lan Fan were both agile enough, but they were body guards, but I have seen nobody from Xing in several years…_

After getting their bodies back, the Elric brothers had sworn to learn all they could on alchemy, in order to use it for good and prevent the devastation that almost destroyed Amestris. Alphonse had gone to the east, and Edward had gone to the west. He wondered how his brother was doing… _Probably helping some stray cat he found on the corner of a street, knowing him._ Even though Al had been in the pursuit of finding new secrets to alchemy, he had admired May Chang, a Xingese princess and set out to learn alkahestry, a form of medial alchemy using energy from within the earth and oneself to reconstruct matter, from her. Now he was an expert in the martial arts as well as wielding the Dragon's Pulse, the energy which alkahestry warps, almost as much as May.

 _Wait! Alkahestry can be harnessed from a distance! That was why there was no transmutation circle here, for the distance of the circle did not determine its strength according to the laws of this science._ Although alkahestry was not as specific as alchemy in altering the particles of matter, it would still cause major damage if enough energy from the Dragon's Pulse was released from the earth. All he had to do was look for a circle. Ed instinctively knew the shrubs doted above the valley sides would be his location…

There! There! There… Circles were doted everywhere, behind every shrub, but every single one of them was missing the metal needles placed into the ground to transfer the energy of the Dragon's Pulse to a specific location. _This puzzle only gets more confusing… if only I could use alchemy to detect a change underneath the earth to locate where the alkahestry was performed…_

Knowing he could do nothing more and with his stomach growling, Ed went to find Colonel Armstrong to get the dog back. As he found the Colonel delicately repairing the stairs he transmuted to return them to their original form, was Ed shocked to find the black-haired man helping the Colonel by carrying his items for him. His eyes were of the clearest blue, so Ed decided to nickname him "Icy".

"What are you doing here, Icy!" Ed yelled, as he had never seen this individual with the Colonel before. However, for Armstrong to allow a stranger to hold his possessions for him was obviously a sign of trust. _Who is he?_

"Oh, Edward Elric, I see you have finished with your examination of the area! There have been no reported injuries either, although the patients are under a lot of stress. There is even a patient missing…"

Instantly Edward's priorities changed; the stranger could wait, but anything affecting his family was of his main concern, and this missing individual would have been someone Winry must have encountered by working at the surgery… "Who is missing, Colonel? Winry was not in the surgery, was she? I left her fast asleep at home…"

"YOU IDIOT, NOW YOU WORRY ABOUT ME!" Winry shrieked, oblivious of the crowd as she hurled a wrench at Ed's head, for it to miss by a couple of metres. She dragged Ed with her left hand into the seclusion of the building, with the Colonel shaking his head towards him, clearly implying the message, "You are doomed."

He found himself in a storage cupboard, the door locked as Winry stared at him, with her right arm hanging loose in a makeshift sling and tears brimming in her eyes. "I've checked them all, I swear. Before I left last night and also as soon as I heard the commotion! Even though I knew you were here, I still checked upon them, but they were missing. I've been searching this past hour, but I cannot find them…"

Winry sank into tears and leaned against Ed, who embraced her in return before wiping the tears from her eyes. "Well, let's go find them then! They could not have gone too far, if they were only reported missing this morning…"

"You don't understand, do you Edward! A patient is missing, a young girl called Ventura, who was randomly collapsed underneath a pile of rubble, obviously moved by alchemy, when she was brought to the Surgery! I was going to tell you, and then I got mad and overslept…

"She is missing, but the brother, the only witness we had, is dead! His body has only now been found high in the mountains, heading due west, towards Creta!"

Edward gulped. His automail leg was starting to throb considerably more, yet he dared not mention it to Winry yet. Staring into his wife's eyes, fiery determination shone inside of them, yet also a hollow loss which bored deep into her soul. _After all the work she has put in, and then suddenly, as soon as I return from South City, the surgery where my family works has been put specifically to the flame, in a manner even I do not fully understand. Alkahestry without a transmutation circle! What makes this worse is that a patient involved in an incident involving alchemy has gone missing, although her brother was found dead, heading to Creta?_

This was just like the devastation of the Ishval Civil War repeating itself all over again.

The elder Elric brother knew from the depths of his heart… _Something new was coming._


	9. 2: The Value of Family

Again

The start of chapter 2, and some more of the Fullmetal cast make an appearance!

Please enjoy!

Until the next sunrise ~ Dawn

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Chapter 2 - The Value of Family

Part I: Olivier

It was snowing. The weather was freezing enough to render somebody unconscious. That "somebody" would never be _her._ As the Ice Queen stood firmly on her place at the wall, she gazed out at the barren landscape in between the gap of the mountains that bordered Amestris with the northern country Drachma; this mountain range was the sole reason why they had not decided to invade Amestris with their full military force. Her face creeped into the closest thing she reached to a smile; it was eerily quiet, even on her night watch drawing to a close. Despite years of peace exempting the odd border skirmish Fort Briggs had had to battle, they were all felled in one swoop, emphasising how vigilant her subordinates were. Now the dawn in the east was all that was visible, blinding the mountains from sight. This would give the enemy the advantage to strike, so she was cautious to peer into all the popular nooks and crannies where the odd Drachmanian spy could be spotted on the off chance. All the military action now consisted in improving the lives of the people, so forces being sent to Fort Briggs were far-fetched, and now fewer soldiers than ever before protected Amestris from possible invasion. She would never let her men balk from the threat and by standing night watch at least fifteen times in a moon's turn; she taught them the lesson that being weak would not suffice by being under her command. The feared, and promoted, General Olivier Armstrong would not tolerate even a second of weakness.

Even though she refused to drop command of Briggs, she had allowed her greatest supporters to train the new recruits. Some of these were as soft as the mountain snow, but underneath that layer of snow was rigid ice, frozen hard from years of melting away and freezing with greater strength. All she had to do was chisel away to find the ice; every person had it within them, but sometimes it took longer to remove the tameness from a person than someone else. Only yesterday had she promoted three rookies from privates to sergeants after spending a gruelling year at Briggs; the Fort would remain strong, but she felt herself slipping, ever so gradually from her former grandeur.

As the boundaries were becoming lax and due to an injury to her heart, she was close to being called "soft", even going as far enough as to adopt a young man to rear as her own unofficially in order to teach him the real life at Briggs. He had come wandering from beyond the border one day, hands raised in the air. After having a gun and her longsword aimed at his head, she stared at him through the eyes, to verify that he was a Drachmanian spy, but she glimpsed at nothing but a cunning innocence. General Armstrong had locked him in a cell for good measure yet months passed and after repeated questioning, he began to question her: "Keep me here, why don't you? You asked me of my heritage. I was Drachmanian, but my inheritance? Nothing at all. The measly mealworms you people eat have more of a purpose in Drachma than I have…"

Samson had piercing blue eyes which were a common trait among the citizens of Drachma. This _boy_ had come to her several years ago, and after over a year of imprisonment, he was allowed around the building chained and with two guards always present. Flourishing under her tutelage, he was able to defend Briggs from a minor bombing attack some revolutionists had planned; she even felt the smallest _affection_ and maternal instinct that could have been worn into her armour. He had been the one to make a few minor dents for the first time in her life. However, she had sent him to her brother, Alex Louis, to teach him the meaning of helping others, rather than standing by his fellow soldiers on the battlefront. Sometimes the front line was not the most difficult place to win a war; a soldier had to gain the support of their country in order to rise to power. She knew it would take others a long time to accept him, so she decided to make his Drachmanian "heritage" anonymous to any personnel outside of Briggs and her brother. Just by thinking about his welfare made Oliver aware that she was becoming soft, like Mustang. _I will never become a dog like him which obeys its owner's every call however._

The General had been left alone to this part of the Fort; she was more than capable of taking out twenty men by herself, as could every other soldier in Briggs, who had had to prove their worth by surviving against the climate all year around, where the winters would never cease. Trouble had begun to stir up on the western border to Creta she knew, and some of her soldiers were on call; any military movement on their part would make her lose even more men and women. She was not fooled though. Drachma had never been this silent for this long since she had won her leadership amongst the mountains.

 _Something new was coming…_ Creta would obviously use the motive that they would want to expand their military and with Amestris' army becoming weaker concerning discipline, it was the best time for them to invade. However, why would a country renowned for being defeated by Amestris suddenly spark war from the years of peace that had been forged with trade between the two countries, also concerning that of Xing and Aerugo. Even though the people of Amestris believed its nation to be at peace, the peace treaty with Drachma had expired two years ago. Its military had been silent ever since.

All around the border with Drachma were mountains, making trade almost impossible, whilst trade routes had been forged between all of Amestris' other bordering countries; even Xing, which was separated by a large desert full of ruins and death. The union was down to Lin Yao, the Emperor of Xing, after playing a key role with his short-term companion, Greed, to destroy the original Homunculus. Personally she liked to refer to that scum as the Dwarf in the Flask. However, this meant that Drachma were not on speaking terms with Amestris and "offended" by this offer of friendship; their military officials were worse than bickering children.

By this point, the sun had raised high above the horizon, glinting and refracting against the glaciers which had stood sombrely in place since the dawning of its land. Amestris had been formed over 400 years ago, but these glaciers had been standing for centuries; "impenetrable" which formed the Fort Briggs' motto. Armstrong believed in mental and physical strength and despised anyone using alchemy, which was partly why she detested her younger brother in some senses and had a rivalry against Mustang. _They think they can harness the power of the earth, when it can backstab them at any time, like the old Dwarf did when he got a taste for power. Even that Kimblee had gone especially to Drachma to "invade" the Fort in look for power. Hmm, what did they all have in common? Only that they are all the rotten scum called alchemists._

Surprisingly, alchemists had been reported of going missing; the odd incident dotted all over the north in the past five years. Suddenly, Drachma withdraws from attack and the rest of Amestris seemed to be stirring for war, although nobody seemed to care aside from the military! There had to be some way that they were all linked…What it could have been even the General did not know.

Her shift had now ended, and even her body had been driven to the point of exhaustion taking the roles which once would have shared the duties of three men. Two young rookies had climbed up the ladder as she stared from her sentinel post to down below, where it would be marginally warmer, although the cold did not affect her as it would these rookies. One was a portly young woman who had quickly shed her baby fat after arriving at Briggs; General Armstrong still thought she had arrived in order to chat up the soldiers. However, she was an effective miner, so the majority of her work was situated around digging for minerals under the mountains and ensuring no enemy could _dig_ their way under Briggs. She was still infuriated by the nationwide transmutation circle being dug under her nose, and she had not even been able to smell it.

The other individual was an elderly man recently joining the military after his retirement as a plumber. He had lasted at the Fort for almost two weeks, although he had recently begun to get cold shivers and sweats of fever. _He obviously needed to be dismissed and sent into retirement. Thinking he can make a hobby out of being in the military. These people just keep getting sicker and sicker in the head._ No, she wasn't quite soft _yet._

She shoved the spyglass into the woman's hand and deftly descended into the heart of the Fort; into the heart of her home. These alchemists missing did not concern her and it had been a long time since any alchemists were scum. However, as her renowned instincts told her, she had to voice her thoughts to someone…an alchemist. Her subordinates would be watching and listening as she had taught them. If they discussed what they knew however, then they would face the Wall of Briggs' icy wrath.

She could not believe who she was about to call.

There were only a handful of people she could trust. Mustang was on a routine trip through Xing to meet with the Emperor to discuss the trade routes within Xingese towns; the Elrics were here and there, hardly ever reliable. Mrs Curtis she could ask…no, she would dare not burden her. Sighing, she picked up the phone with ice on her tongue and fire in her eyes. It only rang twice.

"Hello, my dear elder sister!"

"Alex..."


	10. 2: Part II

Again

Where have you been Al?! You're a main character. Well, 20,000 words in, and he has made his debut to Again :D

A quick help for pronunciation: Lynion (Lyn-eye-on) and Fraxern (Frah-axe-erm)

Thanks Lily for pointing out the "Ling" thing a couple of chapters back. I don't even know how I missed that out XD Well, it's all sorted out now.

Thank you for reading and I'll see you with the next update. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 2 - The Value of Family

Part II: Alphonse

 _He had been ripped apart. Only a fraction of what once was had survived, and now he only lived subconsciously within what he was bound too. He felt nothing, but he could tell it was cold and he was all boxed up…_

Alphonse jumped out of bed, leaping from the covers as the cat curled beside him hissed and gave him an envious look. He reached over to stroke her, wiping the beads of sweat from his forehead as he fully woke up from the nightmare. It was not a nightmare, but more similar to another life living within his dreams; it had been that way since he had got his original body back and begun to sleep again. The dream never had any clarity to it, as if he was trying to find a piece of gold within a murky, fast-flowing stream. His breathing slowly returned to normal as the brown cat with the blue eyes started to purr and rubbed herself against Al's shoulder as he stared at the ceiling from his bed.

"Nina, you must stop being so picky! You know I have to get up early today and sleeping on my head isn't going to change my mind!" Al fussed her for another second before heaving himself off the bed, glaring at the clock. He was late…again!

The problem with the East, and Xing in particular, was the humidity. Even though the sun was out on this morning, it was usually cloudy and storms were not once in a blue moon, but it was always humid. Al trudged down the flights of steps from his hotel room and walked out onto the bustling streets, full of traders with animals, bowls of food and odd trinkets from all across the sea. Only several years ago had this part of the town been a slum district, however, after the old Emperor had passed away and Emperor Yao had come to power, he had ensured all poverty was to be eradicated. Now Xing was developing at an exponential rate, but had not quite reached the technological advances that Amestris had made through the use of alchemy.

Palace Town was the home of the Yao Clan and ironically was the city where the Emperor ruled from the north-eastern district of Xing. The surrounding outskirts of the city were full of trade markets such as this one; as one worked their way closer to the centre of the town, and the palace, intricate fountains and flower beds were doted without the city, with high walls made of marble. Behind the palace were the ninja training grounds and the dojo, yet the most impressive feat was the healing centre. Bright cherry blossoms were continuously in bloom in front of the building; designs of the history and development of medicine were carved into the wall; a simple alkahestry circle had been carved with mosaic and placed at the front entrance. Al had travelled over the sea to neighbouring countries and also by foot for many years. He had returned to Xing just over six months before, to the culture and the people, although he still missed his rural home in Resembool, in which he had not visited in almost two years.

And still Palace Town was called Palace Town, not Palace City.

May was waiting for him by a market stall, stuffing her face with a sandwich; even at 19 years old and highly intelligent she acted like a small child. The panda which always accompanied her, Shao May, leapt from the stall's desk onto May's shoulder; she had not grown much since birth due to a growth-stunting condition and gently bit at Al's finger when he went to pet her. After all of this time, her bite was nothing vicious, only a friendly nip.

"Alphonse, where have you been…I've been able to eat three sandwiches while I was waiting for you! The representative from the Yao Clan should be inside of the palace waiting for us right now!" May cried, dragging Al along the sandy track to make the ascent to get to the palace. She was able to budge him only slightly as he towered over her small physique.

Al was still a little sceptical even after all of the persuading it had taken on May's part. They had in fact not travelled together further than Xing, and Al had only spent the past six months searching all over Xing for the different representatives of all 50 clans. He had followed his brother into all the recklessness he fell into, and May was much the same with her stubborn attitude, so much so that now she was the heir to be the representative for her own family, the Chang Clan.

The reason why Al had been called away from his research of alchemy in the east was due to an anonymous letter May had received. Her skills in alkahestry were renowned despite her poor background and therefore she was a target to the revolutionaries. Ever since Ling Yao had ascended the throne, money had been shared out amongst the poor as it had around the rich so no member of Xing would suffer from starvation again. However, the once rich nobles had been forced to share some of their riches into taxes to give to the poor. Al had heard whispers and rumours of numbers gathering, hiring out alchemists and terrorists to attack the Emperor. He knew from experience never to doubt the talks from the streets.

As a representative to her Clan, May was due the respect and privacy of the other leaders of the Xingese clans. _Would they listen? Was it the right thing to do? Yes, it must have been the right thing to do. A revolution needed to be known to the leaders who have the power to call a stop to this kind of feud. I only hope the Yao Clan will at least hear us out, after all, Ling and Lan Fan are friends of ours._

As they cautiously stepped into the palace, the doors rattled shut behind them while they were being led into an antechamber. Shao May was starting to shiver form her place on May's shoulder. Al leaned down to whisper to his companion but she brushed him away with the flick of her wrist. They were being led into deeper darkness and Al was struggling to see to the extent that he had to put a hand on the wall for support. _The lights are getting dimmer; what can we do? We're not permitted the kunai knives required for alkahestry in the hotel so I only have my alchemy to rely upon. No, that would cause too much of a commotion. THINK ALPHONSE! There is the "shadow wave" I learnt in Fraxern, but I swore to only use that in an emergency…_

The time had come. Their escort slipped off into another direction as they stood, waiting in the throne room. May had started to shiver too, and the lights were coming back on…What should he do? Doing the spontaneous thought where he stood, Al clapped his hands lightly, bringing the force of his alchemy upon his shadow, which was waxing with the growth of the light. He filled the shadow with solid matter, so it became a substance weighing only as much as dust. However, it could strike. Al forced the shadow to shrink to the narrowness of a pin and aimed it from the ragged breathing coming from the throne, poised to strike…

But Al was always a worrier.

"My friends, how have we all been doing? It has been so long!" Ling Yao jumped from his throne and rushed over to greet his friends. May screamed and ran up to embrace him, whilst Al was so shocked his shadow vanished in the instant as he stared at the two gossiping like they had only last seen each other yesterday. He had last seen Ling Yao six months ago and before that when he had left Xing to explore eastern countries like Lynion and Fraxern. The Emperor, crowned on his sixteenth birthday, was always too busy for a personal audience, or so he made out in public. It felt like a day had not passed before he had left Amestris all of those years ago.

"I was so excited to see you Ling, oh my goodness! Shao May and I were shaking in anticipation for this moment! Is the palace free form eavesdroppers, like your informer promised me last night?" As May was waving her hands frantically saying this, Al gaped, completely unaware at how he had been fooled by May, again. He did not know why he had agreed to help her to spread the message of these riots. His personal feelings had to go on hold; this message threatened all of the Empire, and perhaps even Amestris.

"Al, you still appear to be the same as ever. It's good to see you again! I've forced Lan Fan to bake an apple pie for you this morning for your welcome despite her complaining! My one day off from no duties at all in over a year and now you bring me more news, I can tell… I want to know everything; I can tell from that serious look in your eyes…" Ling Yao instantly slapped his head. "Stop saying "I want" stupid man! He is mocking you every time you speak!"

Alphonse smiled, knowing the young Emperor's inside jokes, thought longingly of Greed. Even now he shivered at the thought of how Pride had hosted his soul. Whenever he used his "shadow wave", he cringed at sharing the power with his own blood who sought to destroy Amestris.

Three royal guards silently wandered into the room and placed three chairs and a table below the dais. Ling sat down, rubbing the back of his neck; the only visible sign of his tiredness beneath his smiling complexion. May grabbed into her blouse and pulled out a tattered note, which she handed to the Emperor.

"Oh my…"


	11. 2: Part III

Again

Sorry it's short, but it is more of a direct follow on from Part II.

I'm thinking more Al next chapter or we'll be going back to Roy...hmm decisions XD

Thank you for reading and I'll see you with the next update ~ Dawn

* * *

Chapter 2 - The Value of Family

Part III: Al

 _He was being melted, and it was all he could do was hold on to his body. This was the closest thing he felt to pain; why was he here? He should not be here. How could he escape? Too late; his body was cooling down into its new shape. Despite his trying to move, he found himself trapped with too little energy to cry out. Now he was sinking again…away…away…_

"Alphonse!" May shouted, shaking Al as he sharply awoke, panting from the vividness of the dream. He'd never lost consciousness because of his dreams before, until now. Ling was looking oddly at him, his head cocked to an angle as he was analysing what could have happened to Al.

"What happened then, Alphonse? We were just discussing how you deciphered the code. You saved Xing and then you have to take a nap," Lin's playfulness suddenly melded away. In a hushed tone he continued, leaning over to whisper to Al, just in reach so May could hear; "How come you suddenly passed out, Al? Is there something else that is wrong? What _caused_ this?"

Al shook his head, not knowing how to answer. He was as confused and disorientated as she was. Even though the Emperor was one of his companions, he would have to be careful addressing the leader of a country. They were not equals struggling to survive anymore. "I've been getting nightmares ever since I got more original body back. They usually strike when I am weariest, and perhaps the enormity of this task has finally got to me…"

Rubbing his hands over his eyes, Al sat up, trying to sound as convincing as possible. He hated lying, even discreetly and only a half-lie. The nightmares had been progressively getting worse and he had a minor one every time he slept in truth. In response, Lin only nodded, and allowed May to resume her findings.

"The writer of this note obviously had bad handwriting, so it had to be a child who wrote this. Perhaps the original writer did not want to be caught, so he forced the child to write the note so he could not be captured. Even though the note looks simplistic, the letter "o" appears far more than it should and some of the words make no sense. Al thought it looked like a circle, so we joined all the "o's" up.

"We found a transmutation circle using alkahestry. Two triangles overlap here, from the centre to the bottom of the circle to form an arrow facing upwards, towards the heavens. This symbol has one meaning: defeat."

Ling gaped at the design and shouted "LAN FAN!" Immediately, as a cat would pounce on its target, she was by his side, an apple pie freshly baked in her hands which she dropped and let clatter onto the table; the transmutation circle had caught her attention. She looked at the design and stared at her Emperor. "That is the design that _he_ showed us, wasn't it, my king?"

Handing the apple pie to Alphonse and May, Ling exclaimed "You are going to need to eat that, if you are going to process what I am about to tell you. Do not think you are the only ones who have been gathering intelligence from the past few months," Al went to take a slice as did May.

Without making a sound, Ling grabbed the rest of the pie and stuffed it into his mouth while Al rolled his eyes. "How can an Emperor rule if he has no clarity of mind?"

"Ok, so before I saw you two, I met with General Mustang. He wished for his identity to be concealed from any prying eyes, so that is why the lights were dimmed as you were brought to me through the palace. General Armstrong at Briggs has noticed several alchemists missing in the north and in Rush Valley there was a mysterious explosion. Your brother, Al, discovered it was caused by alkahestry, and a young girl by the name of Ventura from Creta, gifted with alchemy, has been kidnapped and her brother, with no skill in alchemy, was murdered. Around the site of the explosion was this symbol, "defeat". Mustang expects that alchemists are being stolen from Amestris and neighbouring countries to fuel these revolts. In the hope to…defeat me…"

 _Typical Ed falling into trouble again, but a scandal as huge as this!_ "Have other bordering countries like Fraxern had "shadow dancers" missing? I was in Fraxern less than a year ago, and there were no problems involving their shadows."

As they were discussing, a figure strolled into the throne room. May, Lan Fan and Ling could sense their presence with their ability to detect Chi, but Al was oblivious since he had not inherited this genetic ability, even though he could wield alkahestry. A small boy with shining black hair waltzed up to the where the four individuals were and glanced nonchalantly at the crumpled notes, pretending he was interested, however, something registered within his eyes. "Defeat, huh."

"Lucien, what are you doing here? I told you to leave us be when I was in a meeting. Now, go," Ling stared firmly at the young boy who was a mirror image of his father.

"Wait," May hesitantly spoke through the discord between father and son. "He knew what this alkahestry symbol meant…"

"Of course I know what it means. Furthermore, I also know about the Xingese revolts and how Amestris, Creta and Aerugo might be involved. Why would they be concerned for our politics? You forget Drachma too, which is almost twice the size of Xing," Lucien smirked and glared at Al. "Hurry home, alchemist, while you still can…"

After he had left, May and Al were told the story of how Ling Yao's son was a genius from the moment he could speak. As Ling had offered the Philosopher's Stone to the Emperor, he accepted it thankfully, but demanded a toast, to share the stone's contents. If Ling had refused, he would have been executed for defying the Lord. He had swallowed half of the stone's contents, but the souls which powered it were fevered and weak, and had no real motive to survive. One soul however, an ex-surgeon from Ishval, remained within Ling as all the other souls collided with his body. Lucien, his first son, had had the soul passed onto him without the Emperor's knowledge; therefore all of the information the soul had gained resided in the boy. As an equivalent exchange, he was ostracized for being different and had very poor health.

"The wonder of alchemy…" Al whispered with the words faint on his lips. "Whoever spoke, Lucien or the surgeon, they were right. These revolts cannot be directed solely at Xing. Why would Amestris go to the trouble of shipping their own alchemists over to Xing, where there are revolts which do not affect them? Therefore, these revolts in Xing and alchemists going missing in Amestris are two separate things. We are going to have to act quickly, to find out what it means…"

"To think, my own son and Lan Fan's arm having to pay for _my_ greed so I could become Emperor. That's why I keep him close at hand, so he can have the best opportunities for his happiness. He is still Lucien, and he is still my son," Ling Yao gazed fondly at the direction to where the boy had left the room. His attention averted back to the matter at hand rapidly, "General Mustang gave me this note and he sealed it up with his flame alchemy. Even I have not seen it," the Emperor murmured as he handed Alphonse Elric the note. It read:

"I bet you want a trip back home. After all, home is relaxing and everywhere seems to be stressful nowadays."

A second note was crumpled underneath it, scribbled hastily and was barely readable, "A caller aides…once more…in that rescue …for…oh dear meat".

It was typical of Mustang to leave something in code. Now he would have to decipher it, for the General would not be bothered with his time unless he solved it. "Please excuse me, Emperor, Lan Fan. I have something to do…"


	12. 2: Part IV

Again

* * *

Chapter 2 - The Value of Family

Part IV: Alphonse

Alphonse stormed out of the palace, raging determination making his body tremble; he was already thinking over the pieces of evidence he had been given. His reaction had been so swift that May was hurrying to catch up with him but Al persevered, ignoring his companion; he could not allow May to get warped into another plot not concerning her own country. Xing faced a crisis in itself with these revolts gathering the most powerful figures within the country to target their Emperor. However, he let her follow him back to the hotel and he rushed over to gather his books and let them fall into his desk, papers and manuscripts flying everywhere.

"May, what are you doing here? You need to go back to the Emperor; you may be the only representative to have the power and influence to defend Xing from becoming a land of terrorists, which in turn will only follow with poverty and famine, as all conflicts will. They all become _war._ "

"I would have become lost without you, Alphonse…You helped me obtain the Philosopher's Stone and earnt me the favour of the Emperor while you were on your own personal quest to regain your body back! Wake up, Al! It is only when friends bind together that the chains of hatred can be broken. My force binding me to others is strong in only few people, and you are one of them, Al," May huffed and sat down, organising the books into a more cluttered arrangement.

She would not move. She would not listen to any of the pestering from his point of view. Although he hated to be stern and May did not seem to comprehend his justified logic, he sighed, realizing the only resolution would be to collaborate with her. The notes were neatly folded in his pocket and he laid them on the table. "The Emperor's son told us _not just to think of Xing._ Mustang is obviously implying the same thing."

As Al started to shuffle some of the notes in his hand, he stared at May across the table, her intense scowl as she flicked through the pages faster than his eye could see. She braided her hair into two plaits and tied these into buns which barely reached her shoulders. Thin wisps of hair fell loosely over her eyes, which she occasionally blew away from her face, for them to only resume their position on her forehead. He knew he had feelings for her, as he had from when she was no more than a child. Her character had blossomed with age and Al had grown only closer to her but there had never been a moment of peace to secure a relationship. After being his tutor in alkahestry, Al had travelled to all of the eastern countries and returned to Xing to see it secretly climbing into crisis and he had accompanied May as her companion. One thing was certain, he knew she was family. Once this threat was over…he would confront his feelings…

His concentration refocused upon the task at hand; the first note was too obvious, it noted to "going home", which meant that Mustang wanted Al to return to Amestris. However, Mustang also hinted at a "trip", meaning he had to return to Xing due to the Xingese revolts! The last words on the first note could have been interpreted in different ways.

"Everywhere seems to be stressful these days…"Al whispered, repeating the words in a hushed, perplexed tone. Over his studies, he had learnt how eastern countries were able to disguise their intentions amongst the flow of words with extreme secrecy and therefore Alphonse had the training to decipher the lies from the truth. There was too much mentioning of "home" and "everywhere"; it _had_ to refer to surrounding countries and not Amestris which was "home" entirely. Amestris must be the focal point for something if Mustang wanted him in his homeland…he knew it! Even though there was no absolute threat of war, countries were becoming restless amidst their borders and something soon would burst and threatened _Amestris._ Mustang however was only making guesswork because he only "seems" to think militaries were stirring!

Nina jumped onto his lap and began to purr, kneading on his trousers and staring at Al with her eyes half-closed. She then tucked herself up to sleep, breathing rhythmically alongside the billowing of the curtains which veiled away the night.

The General had definitely been doing his investigative work, despite how preposterous his conclusions presented to be. A single officer and several loyal supporters, being his subordinates and connections in Xing, were all he had in his defence. Nobody in Amestris wanted anymore unrest, and as Mustang was a main military member behind the atrocities of Ishval and the overthrowing of the last President had made many of its citizens wary of him. He had too much power for their liking, Al presumed, and only those close to Mustang knew how tame he really was; Roy was closer to a puppy than a dog, and there was no way of comparing him with a wolf. Therefore, Al was decided; he knew Mustang well enough to be absolute to the truth behind these coded notes.

As his head fell amongst his research notes and feeling sweet success of cracking a conundrum, Al was surprised to hear a light tapping at his door. He made eye contact with May, who merely shrugged her shoulders. Hesitantly he answered the door, aware and alert in case an assassin had come to find him, for informing the Clans of the Xingese revolts. The door creaked open on its hinges and a thundercloud suddenly bolted in the distance, wind whipping the curtains into a hurried frenzy. Xiao Mei started to growl uneasily. However, the hotel clerk peered from behind the door and Al could not help but puff a sigh of relief. "Mr Elric, the phone is downstairs for you…"

Surprised at someone calling him near midnight, Al hurried down the stairs, wondering if the General or Emperor wanted an urgent word with him. He still did not know who he was addressing as he answered the phone. "Hello, this is Alphonse Elric, who am I speaking too?"

There was a muffle on the other end of the receiver, and all was silent. He would have put the phone down as he heard a muffle and a crack. _What was going on? Was somebody fetching the phone for a higher official?_ The crack sounded again, but louder. It was laughter. " _Oh hello there, this is Mr Alphonse Elric speaking. Treat me like royalty why don't you?"_ another laugh boomed from the phone and Al had to pull the phone away from his face to avoid losing his hearing temporarily. His face sunk into a scowl. "Edward, when are you finally going to grow up?"

"Did they not tell you it was me? What an _effective_ hotel service they are running in Palace Town. I'm going to recommend their dodgy phone line to _all_ of my friends…"

Al was barely able to stifle a laugh which he brother heard. "Ed, I'm being serious now. Why the phone call in the middle of the night? Fate appears to be playing our trump cards today. I've just decoded a note General Mustang gave me…"

"So, you heard about that girl who got captured. She was a patient from Winry's surgery. I guess the shock has gotten to her, but she will not eat very well. Plus, I found these alkahestry circles with an arrow facing upwards consisting of two overlapping triangles from the centre to the bottom of the circle. Mustang phoned me and only said "You're at checkmate, Fullmetal. He already knows"... and then he hung up. I've researched only some eastern alchemy from the books you left behind… so it means… defeat."

"Uh huh. Mustang's notes led to the same answer, both of them. _To go home, back to Amestris, as armies are awakening._ How can I leave May and Ling here to face the revolts by themselves? Home is at risk, but also Xing, Ed…"

Edward sighed deeply from his end of the receiver and Al swore he heard his fist clench all of those miles away. "It's been almost two years since I have seen you, little brother. The military here have become bluntly arrogant. I'm as useless as Homunculus without a Philosopher's Stone to protect Winry, the children, Granny and everyone in this country…We've found traces heading east, towards Resembool and further. I need you to investigate…"

"What are you not telling me, Ed? Tell me; I will not be hidden in the dark anymore. I want to save Xing so much and home too, but how can I help them both? My happiness is only important if everyone else around me is safe. Let's move forward and defeat these threats, and not let them defeat us. We are the famous Elric brothers after all."

"The two of us against the world, of course! I vaguely know what is happening in Xing and to be honest, I have been meaning to talk to you for a long time, although I've never been able to contact you, you dumbass. You need to know though…a doctor came by yesterday evening with a message for Winry. Granny is poorly but thankfully it is not life-threatening. I need to go home too, Al, and we must move forward from our beginnings again. So, you head east, to Ishval. That is the trading point with Xing to Amestris, so you can keep in touch with information from both countries. If we leave as soon as we can, we will be able to meet on the road. It's too dangerous sharing all of this information over thin air… Wait! You said that note Mustang gave you referred to you "home", but he is not as shallow as that…"

"He doesn't say about going "home" himself as if he is implying that he can handle the situation in the east. Do you not need to go west; is there not a threat from Creta? Aerugo has been too passive these past few years after being at war with Amestris for over a century! A new ally has also warned me of a threat from _Drachma_ on top of all of this… Ed, what if this "defeat" symbol is targeted for revolts against both Amestris _and_ Xing under one organisation alone? How can we deal with these matters when Granny is ill? I'm packing my bags _now."_

"I will send a messenger to envoy where we will meet. Let's say one moon turn from today. We will need to let our friends know what is happening too. Even the two of us cannot manage everything alone. Watch your back, you rusted metal scrap," Ed mocked.

"You would normally be in bed by now, brother. Oh, I've been meaning to tell you…" Al realized that May was still in the room, but of course he trusted her as much as he did Edward. "Ever since I returned to my original body, I've been having these strange nightmares. I never seem to know what is going on and it is always cold, with a _tugging_ sensation away from reality."

"Al, do you feel trapped and alone? As if a part of yourself exists somewhere else, but you can never quite reach for it with your consciousness? From that day nine years ago, I have been having exactly the same nightmare…I have always thought it as God's irony upon me for having my automail leg still, so why could I also not have nightmares of the past about a soul tugging towards its body, like yours used to, Al."

Alphonse knew that already, his time was running out. He glared at the table whilst he held the phone and was shocked to find the second note he still had to decipher. This was going to be a struggle but for now, home needed him, and so did his brother.


	13. 2: Part V

Again

Long time no see! I couldn't abandon any of my fanfics...not now, not ever. Here's to finally updating! Please enjoy :)

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Chapter 2 - The Value of Family

Part V: Roy

"Check"

"I do not think I will be beaten so easily. Do not humiliate me, General. Here is my knight to destroy your rook, not your queen like you intended."

The pieces clinked along the chessboard. Mustang glared at the board; one pawn, a knight, the king and queen. _This was going to be a slim victory for either team. Of course, I will win. I do not know the word "defeat"._ "Ha, you fell right into my trap!" He moved his pawn, long-forgotten during the course of the game, to the opposite end of the chessboard. "Become a rook and defend your ruler! You are no longer a pawn on the battlefield, but a castle to defend your victory."

General Mustang placed his rook closest to his king and queen, capturing one of the enemy's knights. The game quickly escalated until Mustang was left with his rook and king, with the Lieutenant Colonel's king struggling to avoid checkmate on its own. Therefore, he cornered the king with his rook, and if the king tried to escape, it would fall into the clutches of Mustang's own king. The enemy renounced his claim to the throne. He had been felled. Mustang remained the ruler, yet that was only due to the work of the other pieces. They were the most significant members who ensured victory, as his subordinates did in the real game of life. He was only a lousy king upon a throne which meant nothing without them.

Lieutenant Colonel Morse sighed and leaned back in his chair, Mustang's _old_ chair. The flurried trips between Central and Ishval made it difficult to reminisce on his past ventures. Despite being notoriously passive, Mustang drew his strength from the calamity of his life; it was only recently that the past was returning to him in floods before his dreamer's eye. However, he literally shrugged these feelings aside and addressed Morse as his superior officer. Proper titles still felt like a chore to him.

"That was an interesting game, Morse. I can tell you are unwilling to give up your seat of honour until the very end. It means you have guts. You're a man to be admired," General Mustang smirked out of habit. "Please tell all of your superiors I would _love_ to have a game of chess against them, only if they have the time to do so, of course. You are dismissed."

Morse almost leapt out of his chair as he skidded away from Mustang, unwillingly leaving his own office. Roy knew he had made it clear that he wanted to be rid of these dawdling officers, who knew nothing of the word "honour". It was not fit to mention the word "war" to members of the military sitting snug at their headquarters in East City. Once extremely full of activity and life as the hub of the East, these headquarters were nothing but a series of run-down buildings in need of constant maintenance, another sign of how lax the military had become in recent years. Grumman had his work cut out as President to rebuild peace amongst the countries Amestris had ruthlessly declared war on. Whilst Amestris paid for its sins against humanity, the abolished term "dogs of the military" sat twiddling their thumbs in their offices, knowing no other resolution apart from war and conflict. _As always in a game, the strength of the military Amestris is so proud of, winning war after war was inevitably its downfall._

A light tapping sounded from outside of the door, to which Mustang grunted in response, scratching the bristles of his beard as he positioned himself in his chair. The door jutted open while Hawkeye strode in without making eye contact with her superior; she instead diverted her attention around the room, which she had once occupied as her office too. They both had divided headquarters between Ishval and Central, and she too was reminiscing about her past life in East City.

"We always return to our origins, do we not, Hawkeye," Mustang sighed, putting his feet up on the chair, careful to avoid any of the chess pieces falling from the board. "It's a shame _my_ memories here were far more traumatic than yours. Scar haunting us felt like only yesterday; I cannot believe he has been dead for nine years!"

"I don't think your experiences alone deserve recognition. You couldn't have been promoted without me; if it was not for the flame alchemy that _I_ gave you knowledge too, how could you have hoped to rebuild Ishval through your promotion? How could you have built the railway link through the entire of the Desert Area?" Riza fell deep into the seat opposite Roy, rubbing her neck sideways and her back.

"Don't tell me it is troubling you again? You only went to have physiotherapy for your aches a week ago," Mustang leaned forward but Hawkeye immediately snatched his hand and dragged it to her face. He could feel her pounding heart and warm breath against his cheeks. "Don't you dare pity me while we are at work! If you ever try signing me off sick again, then I will have to break your leg so I can watch over you, sir."

The General smiled by how she could mock him to this day and her tongue could bite deeper than that of the Ice Queen's. Despite how Riza complained of her back and revealed her pain to him when they were alone, it never stopped her from acting on duty. Her "Hawk's Eye" was as accurate as ever; his was one of the few regiments to maintain high standards on discipline and combat in the military. He never wanted anyone to die unnecessarily again, and Hawkeye had been the one to weave his skill into that of soft words and light expressions. _That_ is what won you a war.

However, as a representative of the Amestrian government fixed on aiding relationships with Xing and the east, Hawkeye had to fill in for him whilst he was away on business errands. He had only returned from Xing in the past week and reminded Hawkeye of his plans, to which she guessed the majority of correctly. Even though they could not live together nor have children under military protocol, they knew they loved each other. The way they regarded their affection was watching each other's back. He would protect her as she would protect him. Always. However, his thoughts flickered to the light brush of her shoulders; her coaxing aroma of oil and grease; did Roy's love really have any boundaries?

"What made you dismiss Morse so rashly? He would be of use to us, considering how familiar he is with all of his superiors to mobilise the eastern unit of troops. Any word from Armstrong too?" Hawkeye pivoted the chair so she was sitting opposite to him; opposing teams of equal power. When those forces joint together, they were unbeatable.

"There are so many Armstrong's these days that I have lost count, but yes, from Blondie I have heard all she will permit me to hear. She has a trusted supervisor under the name of Samson who is with the Colonel in Rush Valley at present. Considering how Drachma has been silent and the boy is Drachmanian by birth, it correlates that he would be the best candidate to spy on the north. They have been too silent for anyone's good lately," Mustang brought his gloved hands to his face, both fists clenched. "Armstrong is more than strong enough to handle the north. Compared to her, I am the weakling, even though we are of equal rank." _Please do not let Hawkeye repeat this to her. My ego has only been deflated slightly; she will not get in the way of my becoming President!_

"I still have the intention of aiding Xing as much as possible. They have such a large country with a considerably smaller population so we can trade goods with them; without their food produce Amestris would certainly not be able to indulge in their luxuries for much longer. Food is the principle of life! The Emperor of Xing understands this, so the East City superiors should agree with what we are suggesting. If we could stop these revolts and form peace, I will be a step closer to my goal. You should get a promotion too, Hawkeye," Roy grinned smugly. He did love to taunt her.

"General, I can clearly say that you did a good job convincing Morse of your sincerity, I am _so_ sure of that, sir," Riza sighed as she watched the Amestrian flag whip and fly in the breeze outside. It was a typically mild spring afternoon. "You had better be off before Morse comes back to find you still in his office. These officials obviously were not present during the civil war and probably were recently stationed here, fresh out of the academy from Central. They will be more concerned about Creta; we have mountains to protect us from Drachma, the desert from Xing, but nothing against them."

"Very well, Lieutenant Colonel; cover for me while I am gone," Mustang pat Hawkeye on the shoulder before strolling off at a brisk pace, his military boots clomping on the floor and his uniform shining, three golden stars blazing on his shoulder. He secretly prayed to those stars; he would need all the luck he could get. _I hope that Alphonse is on his way to Ishval now and Fullmetal is on his way too. Three experienced, or knowledgeable, alchemists along with the minds of my subordinates will find a way to ensure peace._

He reached the officer's door and tapped on it twice. It abruptly opened to reveal Morse, sweating and out of breath, his uniform in sudden disarray; the other Lieutenant Colonel barged past Roy as the Flame Alchemist was admitted into the room. "The game you requested, sir." There was nobody that he recognised. _Damn, I have been away from home longer than I should have, capturing myself in others' problems. That has always been the problem with me!_ As Mustang surveyed the room, only two officers were of the same rank as him, Generals, one Major General and a Colonel. _It could have been worse, there are not too many of them to convince, novices compared to the one and only General Mustang!_

While the officers murmured their greetings out of sheer politeness, Mustang reached for the collar on his uniform to straighten it out; as he brushed the skin at his neck, he found that it was moist with his sweat. This was what all of these weeks of planning had led to, all of the trips to Xing and deciphering every code involving the Xingese revolts and how these would affect Amestris. Therefore, the struggle commenced again against the lax military. "It is an honour to return home to your company, gentlemen…"

They would not be convinced. His legs ached from giving his presentation for so long. A dull hymn of insects were thrumming behind the panelled glass; he wondered if any of the officers, bored out of their wits, could hear them too, if they were bothered to. Major General Shirato found more amusement in twiddling his thumbs under the table while Mustang briefed the soldiers on the trading impact upon Xing. He did not talk for long; however, he stood there in silence in what felt like hours as they pondered upon what he had said. "Leave the room a second, Mustang, as we…discuss these propositions of yours."

Mustang's body cried out for a rest as he rubbed his back and cranked muscles from standing acutely straight for so long. He felt himself sinking…although he refused to allow tiredness to override his stubbornness, so he began to pace the room. It was oddly quiet, the Amestrian flag glimmering green upon the blue sky. How did he know this was a sense of déjà vu? Sunlight was filtering in through the softened hues of light the glass reflected. Nobody was in sight, and even the sound of the officers talking had been subdued to an inaudible whisper. What told him to walk towards the office? Morse would be leaning back in his chair with a smug expression on his face as he reflected Mustang's expressions, but it was a subordinate in the more powerful positon here, and Roy had wandered aimlessly into his domain. His fists were trembling violently in an explosion of confused rage as he glanced at the office door, towering high above him.

The phone started to ring. Without a second thought for his safety, Mustang fled into the room and grabbed the telephone from its wiring. The uneasiness failed to strike him as he did not realize the office was empty. Eerily desolate. "General Mustang speaking from East City."

"Oh, Mustang, I am glad it was you," Grumman's voice rumbled down the receiver. "Something has happened, and all of Central's police and military personnel have been informed. Selim Bradley has been confirmed as missing; the household servants found that Mrs Bradley and her son had departed from the house two days ago on urgent business or on an unexpected trip. I was informed last night by a member of their personal bodyguard, Falman, one of your subordinates, I believe.

"He pestered me to inform you as soon as possible as well as General Armstrong, the Fullmetal Alchemist and the others trusted with the true identity of Selim Bradley; Pride. We believe he is headed south, but Fullmetal has recently taken vacation from South City Headquarters for several weeks. Mrs Curtis has been informed however, and all troops in the South Area are all on high-alert to relocate the boy. The homunculus _will be found._

"Xing will have to fend for themselves for the time being. If Pride escapes our clutches into ex-supporters of General Raven and regains their trust, he could pose a threat to Amestris' peace. Here is _your_ order; place Pride into checkmate, by any means you can. The East is at your dispense. Do not fail me, Mustang; you would not come back to your master with a tail between your legs would you? Ha, not if your ambition is to succeed me as Fuhrer!"

As Mustang placed the phone down, his eyes began to droop, before his senses were alerted to the scrabbling sound on the floor below. Swivelling around with the intention to strike, again Mustang gawped in shook. Hughes was sinking into Roy's leather chair dragging it with his feet into continuous loops as a child would.

"Hughes, what are you doing here?" Mustang screamed.

The figure of Hughes morphed into the shape of a shadow. "Are you still dreaming, Mustang, or playing that game of chess? None of that matters now. You are right where I need you."

A hand reached out to grab for Mustang's head and he readied his fingers in synchronized response. However, in that hand was a gun, and as Morse's figure slipped out of the darkness into the light, Hawkeye was behind him, gagged and bound.

"We are arresting you for conspiring with Pride, the homunculus, on setting him free. You and Grumman had planned this from the start, haven't you, along with that fake Emperor of Xing, who even hosted a homunculus inside of his body! You have plotted against the Amestrian government and as the law states in emergency, soldiers do not need to seek permission from their superiors. We know the Xingese revolts you and your pathetic dogs have planned are all a hoax so you can bring the homunculus subtly back into power! Creta is the leading concern of the military!"

" _How could you even…"_ Mustang cried before having a gag forced into his mouth. Hawkeye pinned him with her eyes, but this time there was no back-up plan. Only Hawkeye had accompanied him to come to East City with the thought of tiresome soldiers, not mentally crippled soldiers who had driven themselves beyond insanity, or to the point of aberration. They had no support here…

"Yes, Grumman should be captured by now too. Finally, we can rid all of those in the world tainted by the Sin Himself and strive forward for the human race; not homunculi! Any move, Mustang, and she will be shot, like the dog, no, the _filth,_ she is."

There was no escape. With all of his supporters most probably under arrest, or so he assumed, how could he resist, unless those he loved got hurt? He was slipping…between consciousness and reality. _Maes, what am I supposed to do now?_ That was the last rational thought that he conjured…

After spending the past nine years restoring Ishval and the east, even the most hating of victims had forgiven him. Perhaps this was simply his real atonement for the sins he had committed and never fully paid the price for. He should have rightfully let himself surrender then. However, the images of Hawkeye's glare throughout their struggles silenced his thoughts. All he had to do was clap his hands together…


End file.
